If you've ever wanted a succulent plant that grows tall, this post is just for you. While succulents are known to be small shrubs and pot-pound plants, several can grow to significant heights. If you have a home with high ceilings, you'll find that a tall succulent plant is a perfect addition to help fill out the space. Not only can they make a bold statement, but they can also add a bit of depth to the room.
Tall succulents can also help provide privacy to your home by covering up windows and storm doors with their large branches and stems. If you live in an urban environment but want to add a tropical or desert-like feel to its exterior, a tall succulent plant may be just what you need. Let's take a look at some of these plants.
11 Gorgeous Succulents That Grow Tall
1. African Milk Tree (Euphorbia trigona)
The African milk tree is native to southern and central Africa. It's also known as the good luck cactus. The plant has a lush green color, and its flowers take on a bright red hue during the latter part of the blooming season. It prefers dry but well-aerated soil, especially soil that contains sand or loam. Its slim long stems can reach up to 10 feet high and have an average spread of about one to two feet. The African milk tree loves sunlight and makes for a great entryway or patio plant.
2. Hanging Chain Cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida)
The hanging chain cholla can get up to nine to 15 feet tall. Its nickname, the jumping cholla, comes from the ability of its stamps to easily become detached from its branches when they're brushed, which often leave people and wildlife with minor wounds. This leaning plant is green and has large tubercles that contain wart-like growths on its stems.
The plant's native to growing zones 8 to 11 and doesn't require much water to thrive. Its soil can be on the dry to moist side, and the plant thrives in natural sunlight. As this plant ages, it becomes rough and scaly, and it can produce small white flowers during the blooming season.
3. Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)
The desert rose tree has a very strong presence. It has thin branches and sprouts, beautiful pink and white leaves that are sure to make a noticeable statement in your front yard. This tree can grow up to 10 feet high and averages about two to five inches width. The desert rose prefers a well-drained succulent soil mix that has a pH of around six. It absolutely loves sunlight and prefers full sun on most days. It grows in zones 10 and 11.
If you're looking for a tall plant that is both decorative and relatively easier to care for, the desert rose is definitely worth considering.
4. Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)
The saguaro cactus just happens to be the state flower of Arizona. It has a thick, tall fluted trunk that can grow up to 40 feet tall, and the branches have a span of anywhere from three to six feet wide. This pitchforked-shaped cactus doesn't require much to grow and prefers soil that is on the dry side. Its native growing zones are 9 to 11. A native plant of New Mexico, you'll find that this plant can produce eye-catching daisy-like flowers on the tips of its branches.
5. Fox Tail Agave (Agave attenuate)
The foxtail agave plant is typically grown in zones 5 through 11. This is one of the easiest succulents to grow, as it doesn't require a lot of water and can survive in full sun or partial shade on most days. The average foxtail agave reaches up to 15 to 20 feet in height and has a spread of anywhere from three to five feet. It gets its name from its swan neck-like buds, which can reach over five feet tall themselves.
If you are looking for a succulent that will definitely stand out in your front yard, here is one worth noting. These plants are relatively easy to care for, and they don't require much watering, other than once or twice a month. They can, however, survive for several weeks without it.
6. Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)
The soaptree yucca is a very showy plant that produces white bell-shaped flowers during its blooming season. This native New Mexico plant has slender pale green leaves that have sharp points on their margins. The cactus can grow up to 15 feet tall, and it's great for dry soil or areas with warm temperatures with an average above 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
It also produces brown pods during the blooming season, and the trunk of the tree can be used to make soap. It typically grows in zone 6 through 11 and can spread up to eight feet wide. It has a solid tree trunk and prefers full sun on most days.
7. Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
A large-spanning shrub, the ocotillo plant can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its branches have an average spread of 10 to 15 feet. This large shrub is drought-tolerable and prefers full sun most of the time. The succulent is very easy to maintain and can survive weeks without water.
It actually prefers soil on the dry side, and it can be dug up and transplanted without re-watering. The plant's wand-like branches grow small red flowers on their tips, which is sure to add an interesting bit of color to your yard. It grows in growing zones 8 through 11 and a fairly disease-free cactus variety.
8. Organ-pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)
A Spanish plant native to southern Arizona and Mexico, the organ pipe cactus is native to growing zones 9 to 11. Its fork-like shape is easily recognizable, and it can get up to 26 feet tall. It has an average spread of anywhere from three to five feet wide. The stems of the plant are gray in color and typically covered with a brown spine. In the blooming season, it's known to produce white flowers with small pink or purple petals.
It can also produce a red fruit that bats often pollinate. The plant prefers well-aerated moist or dry soil and can go several weeks without water. It also prefers full sun, but it can also survive in partial shade for extended periods of time.
9. Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
If you're new to growing indoor or outdoor plants, consider trying the snake plant to get your botanical feet wet. Not only is it a relatively easy plant to grow, but it almost seems to thrive on neglect. The snake plant can go up to four to five weeks without water. It prefers full sun and partial shade on most days and grows best in temperatures around 50 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
This plant is a native of Africa and is commonly found in growing zones 10 through 12. You can purchase a snake plant at your local nursery while it's only one foot tall, and with proper care, you'll find at the plant can reach up to four to eight feet in height if you grow it outdoors.
10. Fishhook Barrel (Ferocactus wislizenii)
The fishhook barrel succulent is native of southwestern New Mexico and is commonly found in growing zones 9 through 12. Though you'll mostly see smaller shrub versions of this plant, it can, however, grow up to 12 feet tall. It has an average spread of about one to three feet and has a very high cold tolerance--it can stand temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
It's one of the easiest succulents that you can grow, and it can go up to four weeks without water. Its round basketball-like shape is often topped with orange flowers during the blooming season, and it is perfect for adding a bit of color to your garden or lawn.
11. Hedge Cactus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum)
The hedge cactus is a wide bush-like cactus that has long column-like stems. It can reach up to nine or 10 feet in height and has an average span of about five to six feet. It's usually a dull greenish color but can grow to a bluish-green in some environments. The cactus can also produce white and pink flowers in its blooming season. It's native to growing zones 6 through 9 and prefers soil on the dry side; it rarely needs watering-- though it does require ample sunlight.
Wrapping Things Up
The biggest benefit of growing succulents is that most of them don't require much attention to thrive. If you live in a region where the weather is generally warm and dry, succulent plants can make for a perfect front or back yard decoration. And if you prefer plants that are taller for privacy reasons, these succulents can definitely grow large enough to provide your home with the coverage that you're looking for.
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