A succulent wreath is a living pieces of art. They’re great statement pieces for any front door, and they’re perfect DIY options around the holiday season if you live in a warm, dry location. Succulents work well planted in wreaths because they’re eye-pleasing, grow slowly, and are available in various colors and textures.
How Long Will the Wreath Last?
The longevity of your succulent wreath will vary based on the plants you select and how well you care for them. Most people will get at least a year of use from theirs—typically from around two to five years. Some gardeners can even keep their wreaths living for up to 10 years. However, just because the wreath won’t last a long time doesn’t mean you can’t maintain a succulent garden afterward.
When the wreath gets old, the frame will begin to fall apart. This is when you may want to consider replanting the succulents in containers, or outdoors. Both are super easy to do in a number of ways.
You can place the wreath flat on the ground, in a container, or on a soil bed and leave it for a few weeks for the plants to root through the frame and into the soil. In contrast, some people will cut the wreath into smaller pieces and plant them individually in pots as well. This is much easier if you have a fairly large wreath to deal with.
Materials to Collect
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 60-100 succulent cuttings, depending on the size of your frame and the plant species you like
- A wire frame in your desired size, from 2 to 16 inches in diameter (you may also use a moss-covered frame to save time, but more on this later)
- Unmilled sphagnum moss
- A pen, pencil, or chopsticks to create holes in the moss
- Floral pins, paper clips, or wire clips to keep the plants in place while they root
- Potting soil
- Fishing line
- Bucket of water
- Scissors or shears (to make cuttings or trim plants)
How to Choose the Right Plants
For a full wreath, you will need tons of succulent cuttings. A collection of 60-100 succulents will fill a 12-inch frame, and you’ll need to make sure the plants you select require similar sunlight needs. While most succulents do well in the shade, some must have full sun.
Collect cuttings from a range of your favorite succulents such as crassulas, aeoniums, echeverias, or graptopetalums. Rooted succulents such as hens and chicks and sedums will work well, and you can also use small vining plants.
Popular succulents for wreaths include:
- Sedum
- Kalanchoe
- Echeveria
- Aeonium
- Portulacaria
- Gasteria
- Pachphytum
- Mother of pearl
- Jade plant
Combine an assortment of textures, colors, and sizes to create an interesting display. Make sure the plants or cuttings contain a short stem to attach them to the wreath.
If you already have rooted succulents, you can make cuttings from your existing plants a day or two before you want to assemble the wreath. To take cuttings from a mother plant, begin by removing a small tip of the plant and strip the lower leaves to offer about 1.5-2 inches of stem. You’ll want to make sure the cut ends dry and heal completely before doing so or the cuttings may rot.
Likewise, if you select large plants, you may need to trim the roots a couple of days in advance for them to fit. Until the end can dry and callus, it’s highly vulnerable to rot and disease.
You may not already have succulents at home you can make cuttings from, and that’s totally fine. You can buy succulents from your local garden nursery and pull apart the plants from their pots to remove the soil. This will make it easier to place the roots in the frame of your wreath.
Once the cuttings are prepared, you can figure out how you want to arrange the plants on the wreath.
10 Step-by-Step Instructions to Make a Gorgeous Succulent Wreath
Making your own gorgeous succulent wreath will take at least a half an hour for experienced people to complete. That’s without the time it takes to prepare the appropriate cuttings, or collect the materials you need. Get started during the spring for the best results.
Use the following step-by-step instructions:
- Soak the moss in a bucket of water for a couple of hours prior to making your wreath.
- Place the frame flat, with the concave side upward.
- Add the damp moss into the frame’s depression, pressing it firmly into place until the bottom layer of moss circles the frame.
- Next, add potting soil and press it down into a small mound.
- Cover a second frame with moss using the same step as before. Then press the inverted moss-filled frame on top of the one that contains soil.
- Then, cover the inverted frame with another layer of damp moss to hide the wire, providing the plants with a place to grow.
- Create your own screen using fishing line to keep the frames and plants in place. Wrap fishing line around the two frames to keep them in place, securing them by pulling the lines tightly and knotting them together. You’ll tie fishing line around the frame every inch or so.
- Add each succulent cutting into the screen by poking the stems through the holes in the screen directly into the soil. Begin with rooted plants and insert the cuttings last. Use a pencil or chopsticks to poke a hole in the moss to insert the plants.
- Press moss around the cutting and continue adding in plants until the wreath is covered.
- Secure the plants in place until they can root by pressing them into the moss securely. A floral clip, wire clip, or even a bent paper clip will help keep everything in place for a few weeks.
If there are any gaps, fill them will moss to hide the frame. The plants will grow to fill in small gaps as well.
Easier Alternatives
You can also use foam or mesh-covered moss wreath frame rather than wire. This will change the instructions slightly and save you a few steps. If you try this frame, make sure to soak the entire frame prior to planting the succulents.
How to Care for a Succulent Wreath
The cuttings will root into the wreath about a month after you put together your succulent wreath. Be sure to allow the wreath to lie flat until this happens. Otherwise, the plants may come loose even if you have wire clips in place.
When the cuttings are fully rooted, you can remove the wire clips and hang the wreath. Just make sure to place it in a location that gets plenty of light. You’ll also need to help the wreath adjust to sunlight slowly or you may risk burning the leaves. Keep them from direct sunlight for at least a week after planting.
Don’t forget to water the plants each time they feel dry. The moss on your wreath should remain moist, but not too wet. Expect to water the plants around every 4 days to 10 weeks, depending on the temperature where you’re located and the amount of sunlight the plants receive.
Watering and Care
Submerge the wreath in an inch of water for about 10 minutes. Wait half an hour to make sure the moss has fully absorbed the liquid it needs. Allow the wreath the drain before re-hanging.
Over time, you can expect the wreath to change. If the plants become overgrown, simply prune them into cuttings. You can then plant the cuttings in a new wreath frame, or create other fun succulent garden ideas
You may also need to fertilize your succulents using an all-purpose fertilizer, as they receive limited nutrients from the soil inside the wreath. Use around a quarter of the regular dosage and fertilize the plants around every fourth or fifth time you water.
Hang the frame in a location with filtered light and fresh air to help the plants last longer. A spot with morning sun and filtered all day sun is preferable over hot, direct sunlight. If you live in a hot zone, keep the plants out of midday sun. An indoor succulent wreath will do well in a south-facing window or greenhouse as well.
Even if you don’t offer the proper setting for your succulents, they should last a few months. If you notice the plants reaching outward from the wreath, they may need more sunlight.
Where You Can Buy Pre-Made Succulent Wreaths
You can also purchase a living succulent wreath from the following common stores:
- World Market – $90
- Amazon – $35-$60
- Wayfair – $33-$80
- Etsy – $55-$120
As you’ve probably noticed, buying a pre-made succulent wreath can become expensive really fast. When you buy one instead of making your own, you have to pay for the materials and succulents as well as the cost of the person’s time who put it together. By creating your own, however, you can personalize the wreath to suit your style and save some serious cash.
