7 Fall-Themed Succulent Arrangements Anyone Can Create
Fall's cooling weather means it's time to think about indoor plants. Succulents make it easy to create stunning autumnal arrangements that will look wonderful now and last through the years. Gardening expert Melissa Strauss discusses some ideas for your fall-themed succulent arrangements.
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Fall is the perfect time to create beautiful succulent arrangements. They blend wonderfully with the rich textures and earth tones of the autumn season. Cooler temperatures are what these plants prefer, with many of them blooming this time of year.
Because fall brings cooler temperatures, many succulents take on more vivid and bold colors. These echo the vibrant fall landscape and mix well with natural autumn elements like seed pods and pumpkins. Fall succulent arrangements can be a wonderful addition to the front porch or outdoor dining area. And when it gets too cool for comfort, they don’t mind coming indoors at all.
Make sure to water sparingly, especially during the cooler months. Root rot is a risk when you keep succulents indoors and in containers. Place your fall succulent arrangements in a brightly lit space where they will get plenty of indirect sunlight. Here are some fun ideas that will look lovely this fall.
Proteas and Perle von Nurnberg
This eye-catching combination is partially permanent and partially temporary. ‘Perle von Nurnberg’ is a popular variety of echeveria with a purple cast to its smoky green leaves. Echeverias are incredibly easy to grow and will last for years with proper care. In cold weather, this variety will blush to blend with the warm tones of fall.
Proteas are too tall to mix the entire plant with your succulent, but they are long-lasting in this arrangement with ‘Perle von Nurnberg’ and some silvery eucalyptus. While the proteas and eucalyptus are a temporary addition to the arrangement, they complement the succulents wonderfully.
You can achieve this look by burying small glass tubes among your echeverias. Fill these with water and snip your protea stems short, then place them in the tubes. You can then switch them out with other seasonal flowers to make this arrangement transition all year.
Fairytale Pumpkin
Pumpkins and succulents look gorgeous together, and these fall succulent arrangements are stunning. This fairytale pumpkin is also named ‘Musquee de Provence.’ It’s a French heirloom cultivar that starts out black and gradually cures to rusty orange with a soft, gray cast.
Many succulents also have a waxy covering on their leaves that gives them a similar smoky look. Mixing these with other, more brightly colored varieties achieves this soft and soothing arrangement’s vibe.
If you want these fall succulent arrangements to last, carve out the pumpkin and fit a pot down inside of it to plant your succulents in. The pumpkin won’t last long, but you can remove the succulent arrangement from the squash before it rots and still enjoy it on a sunny windowsill throughout the winter.
Autumn Joy Sedum and Pale Pumpkins
‘Autumn Joy’ is an exceptionally popular variety of sedum known for its abundant fall floral display. It’s a prolific bloomer with beautiful clusters of rose colored flowers. Pollinators love them, and they last an extra long time. You can snip the flowers and hang them to dry when they finish blooming.
This simple potted ‘Autumn Joy’ is lovely enough on its own. But you can add some extra fall flair by combining it with some seasonal pumpkins or gourds. These pale green and cream colored cultivars look wonderful, softening the terracotta planter and picking up the cool tones in the sedum’s foliage.
Fall Colored Rosettes
Echeverias change color in cool weather, but they’re not the only ones. Here, an arrangement of echeveria, graptopetalum, sedum, and sempervivum coexist in a melange of autumnal shades. Those blushes of red, coral, and aubergine show off pops of green, mimicking the fall habits of the trees.
This succulent arrangement always looks beautiful, but in the fall it’s especially showy. Many succulents, in addition to changing colors, also flower in autumn. You’ll begin to see slender stems emerge from these rosettes and produce blooms in shades of pink, white, and yellow.
Over time, these succulents will reproduce, filling in spaces and overflowing the container. A densely packed arrangement is always the goal, and once that happens, you can break off offsets to make another or share with a friend.
Terracotta and Kalanchoe
Florists kalanchoe is one of many beautiful species that flower in fall and winter. This makes it a desirable houseplant this time of year, as most flowers are fading. Kalanchoes also have sturdy, attractive, succulent leaves, and they’re incredibly easy to care for. In fact, they prefer a degree of neglect.
Whether you allow one cultivar to take center stage or create an arrangement of different types, kalanchoes look great in terra cotta. The dusky orange of this pot softens the glossy, textural look of the foliage. In warm climates, these can live outdoors all year. In cooler ones, place it outdoors in indirect light in summer and a sunny indoor window in fall and winter.
Autumn Succulent Bouquet
This is another gorgeous arrangement of rosette-shaped succulents. I love the shape of this one; it’s perfect for using as a centerpiece for your holiday dinners. The domed shape looks like a bouquet from a bird’s eye view.
Mix succulents of different shapes, sizes, and colors for this look. It’s nice to have some consistency and balance in placing them, and work on balancing the different shades and textures.
As you can see here, some of these are beginning to flower. Their blooming seasons mainly fall between the fall and winter, so this arrangement shows off best at this time of year. What better time to bring it indoors and enjoy it up close?
Pumpkin Patch
I have to include another fall succulent arrangement that includes pumpkins, because they just coordinate so nicely with succulents. I love the strong lines and angular leaves of the succulents against the smooth, round, muted pumpkins.
Not only do the textures and shapes complement each other, but pumpkins come in colors that also look great with succulents. Pair dark and light, purple with orange, or variegated with white pumpkins to accentuate the variegation.
You can stop at one, but an arrangement of different sizes and colors is enchanting. These are great for the front porch. Make sure to fit your pots down inside the pumpkins where you can’t see them. If you want a longer-lasting pumpkin, artificial, carveable pumpkins are an excellent alternative.
