Succulents

                                Are you looking for a few succulents that have beautiful orange blooms? There are many different orange flowering succulents to choose from, blooming in all shades of orange. In this article, gardening expert Melissa Strauss examines her favorite succulents that have beautiful orange flowers.                                


                            By Melissa Strauss 
                                Last updated: December 21, 2022                                    |
                                8 min read

Orange is an energetic color associated with warmth and happiness. It evokes the tang of zest from peeling a tangerine, and the warm glow of candlelight. It’s also a fabulous shade to enliven a garden or floral arrangement. It happens to be a common color of succulent blooms, as well.

So if you’ve started looking for an orange blooming succulent, you’ve come to the right place! If you are looking to liven up your garden, or bring a little nature indoors, succulents are easy to maintain, and require almost no attention as long as they have a sunny spot and good air circulation. Plus, flowering succulents are extremely unique looking and can add a conversation piece to your garden!

Read on and take a look at some of our favorite succulents for your home and garden that produce brilliant orange flowers.

Bitter Aloe

  • Bloom Time:  Spring and SummerGeographical Location:  South AfricaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 9-12

Also known as Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe is an imposing species that resembles an agave or century plant. The leaves are thick and fleshy and produce a gel that is commonly used in cosmetic products, herbal remedies, and supplements. It is one of the larger species of aloe, growing 6’-9’ tall and 3’-5’ wide at maturity.

Bitter Aloe produces spectacular plumes of brilliant orange inflorescences. The spikes are covered in small, tubular flowers with visible stamens that attract plenty of nectar loving birds and insects. This impressive plant does well kept outdoors but doesn’t tolerate temperatures below 25°.

Candelabra Aloe

  • Bloom Time:  WinterGeographical Location:  South AfricaSun Exposure:  Full SunPlant Zone: 9-11

Another aloe species with many cosmetic and medicinal uses, Candelabra, or Torch Aloe is a pretty bloomer as well. This species can tolerate more water in the summer, making it more versatile than other types of aloe in terms of soil composition and drainage. When given the space to spread, this plant produces clusters that grow up to 6’ tall and make a spectacular hedge in zones 9-11.

Candelabra Aloe produces flower spikes from the center of rosette form leaf clusters. The spikes are long, elegantly curved, and form large clusters of bright reddish orange tubular flowers in wintertime.

Cleistocactus Icosagonus

  • Bloom Time:  Summer and FallGeographical Location: PeruSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone:

These clumping cacti are of visual interest year-round with their glowing yellow spines, particularly when backlit by the rising or setting sun. They top out around 2’ tall, but spread well, creating pretty clusters of slender, finger-like structures that work well in rock gardens and sandy spots.

Cleistocactus Icosagonus begins blooming during the summer and can produce flowers continuously through fall. The blooms sprout near the top of the cactus as bright orange tubes that flare open at the top like small flames. This Peruvian native is perennial and also produces fruit.

Lobivia Jajoiana

  • Bloom Time:  SummerGeographical Location: ArgentinaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 10

This petite plant is native to rocky mountainous areas of Northern Argentina. The primary structure is only a few inches tall and is usually a solitary grower, although they can be found in small groupings. These little guys make great potted plants. The spines are long and curve around the surface of the plant.

Although small, their blooms are quite beautiful and range in color from yellow to a tomato red, with all shades of orange in between. They appear at the top of the spherical plant and open many petaled blooms to reveal a dark center, speckled with pale yellow stamens. The flowers resemble a poppy.

Mountain Aloe

  • Bloom Time:  Fall and WinterGeographical Location:  South AfricaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 9-11

This giant aloe species grows up to 10’ tall at maturity, quite a grand plant! It grows on a central stem, and the large gray-green leaves leave a skirt around the base as they dry out.

The leaves are dotted with reddish spines and grow in an upward fashion with the look of a giant artichoke. When planted in ones 9-11, Mountain Aloe needs little to no additional irrigation.

Multi branched flower crowns appear at the top in fall and winter, rivaling the entire width of the plant. These branches are coated with golden orange, tubular flowers. The overall effect is quite spectacular.

Orange Crown Cactus

  • Bloom Time:  Spring and SummerGeographical Location:  BoliviaSun Exposure: Full Sun to Part SunPlant Zone: 9-11

This small cactus, also known as Flame Crown, may be my favorite on the list. These 6” round ball like structures are native to the Bolivia Andes where they grow on rocky terrain. Over time, they multiply to form piles of small round balls covered in spines and silky white hairs.

Orange Crown Cactus is a very popular ornamental. Its lovely, balanced shape is pretty year-round and when in bloom it is a beautiful contrast of shapes, shades, and textures.

A winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, flowers appear in late spring and last into the summer. The blooms are daisy shaped, bright orange, and open to clusters of golden stamens. They grow around the top of the spheres like a flower crown and are positively delightful.

Orange Flaming Katy

  • Bloom Time:  WinterGeographical Location:  MadagascarSun Exposure: Bright Indirect LightPlant Zone: 9-11

Kalanchoe are a charming genus of succulents native to the island of Madagascar. They are easy to care for, with beautiful variations in shape and size, and the ones that bloom are prized for their abundance of colorful flowers in wintertime. Flaming Katy is a prolific bloomer that thrives with lots of bright indirect sunlight.

This succulent has large, waxy, bright green leaves and clusters of tiny, orange flowers with a rosette petal formation. Deadheading will encourage the plant to produce more flowers, and they can continue to bloom during other seasons if well cared for. These plants make a perfect hostess gift around the holidays and are certain to bring cheer to any sunny window.

Orange Ice Plant

  • Bloom Time:  Spring and SummerGeographical Location:  South AfricaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 5-9

This small succulent shrub tops out around 14” tall but can have an impressive 5’ spread. It has a branching growth habit and branches are heavily sprinkled with long narrow green leaves. Orange Ice makes a beautiful ground cover and requires little care once established, it is heat and drought tolerant.

In late spring, Orange Ice is covered in bright orange, nectar rich flowers that attract swarms of butterflies. When this plant likes its space, it will be positively rife with long lasting blooms. This succulent is also cold hardy and survives in freezing weather. Ice plants are incredibly hardy, and very versatile.

Orange Snowball

  • Bloom Time:  SpringGeographical Location:  BoliviaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 9-11

Orange Snowball is a pretty, little cactus that likes lots of sunlight and will reward growers with abundant, reddish-orange blooms in the springtime. Deriving its nickname from its shape and appearance, this small succulent is a rounded mound covered in fine hairlike spines giving it a frosted appearance.

This cactus begins reproducing after about 2 years and has a mounding habit. Leaving the offsets intact will create a pretty pile of snowballs with a mass of lovely flowers. The blooms are a fiery shade with a burst of bright golden stamens in the center. Repotting annually in a well-draining succulent mix will keep this plant performing at its best.

Peanut Cactus

  • Bloom Time:  Spring and SummerGeographical Location:  ArgentinaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 10-11

Peanut cactus makes a wonderful, low maintenance hanging plant with its clumping and trailing habit. The finger-like structures grow to about 6” long and are covered in soft white hairs, making this an easy cactus to handle. It enjoys full sun and modest watering and needs some cooler temperatures in order to set buds, but is not frost tolerant.

In springtime, deep rust-colored buds peek out from among the fingers with their own coating of white downy hairs. These buds bloom into deep orange perfection. The flowers are not unlike straw flowers in appearance and last into the summer.

Prickly Pear

  • Bloom Time:  SpringGeographical Location: Texas, USA and MexicoSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 8-11

This nice, mid sized cactus is best known for the edible fruit it produces, and lends it flavor to many commercial treats. It makes a nice, shrubby addition to the desert or rock garden and is quite low maintenance if you don’t mind the spread.

It lacks spines but has many red brown glochids covering the paddle like structures, which can be dangerous to humans and animals.

In spring, Prickly Pear produces plentiful flowers at the tops of its paddles. The flowers start out yellow but deepen to a pretty apricot color over time. When the flowers fall, they are replaced by attractive red fruits that are edible for humans and animals.

Red Echeveria

  • Bloom Time:  Spring and SummerGeographical Location:  Mexico and North AmericaSun Exposure: Full SunPlant Zone: 9-11

This variety of echeveria can be kept indoors or out but is unlikely to bloom when kept as a houseplant. It needs lots of bright, indirect light, or it will become leggy in an effort to grow toward its nearest light source. With those caveats out of the way, Red Echeveria is a simply beautiful variety.

The plump rosettes of leaves are green, tipped with a deep red shade and covered with soft velvety hairs that protect it from the hot sun and help it to retain water. When it blooms, generally in summer, it sends up a long spike, up to 1’ tall. Small buds form all along the spike and open successively to reveal bright coral-colored flowers with yellow interiors.

Woolly Rose

  • Bloom Time:  SummerGeographical Location:  Central AmericaSun Exposure: Bright Indirect SunPlant Zone: 9-11

This tiny echeveria gets its name from the wife of its creator, and its nickname Wooly Rose from its appearance. Petite rosettes or fleshy leaves are bright green, and coated with fine, white, downy hairs. This plump little plant looks a little like a children’s stuffed toy.

It blooms any time between spring and fall, generally during the summer months. A tall spike is formed with velvety nubs along the length, and at the top, a cluster of bright orange buds. When the buds open, they look like tiny flames, deep orange outside with bright yellow interiors. A charming species that looks great in any succulent garden.

Final Thoughts

These lively, orange flowering succulents are a wonderful low maintenance way to bring cheer and warm up your garden and home. Whether you’re searching for some color to spruce up a desert garden, or have a sunny window in need of a little green friend, succulents are a great choice.

Brightly blooming and with interesting textures, succulents are interesting conversation pieces that require very little effort to maintain.

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