Most of these grow slowly enough that a tight planting looks right for years before it becomes a problem. That is exactly why so many succulent beds are planted too close: the consequence arrives long after the decision, and by then the plants have to be lifted rather than adjusted.
Plant library · Spacing charts
Succulent and cactus spacing chart
Center-to-center spacing for 29 succulents and cacti, with mature size, hardiness zones, and sun needs — for rock gardens, dry borders, and container arrangements.
Spacing across this chart runs from 2 inches (5 cm) to 15 ft (4.6 m). Click any column heading to sort.
| Plant | Spacing | Mature size | USDA zones | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Adam's Needle YuccaYucca filamentosa
|
3 ft90 cm | 5 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 4–10 | Full Sun |
AeoniumAeonium spp.
|
18 inches45 cm | 2 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
AgaveAgave spp.
|
5 ft1.5 m | 4 ft tall, 5 ft wide | 8–11 | Full Sun |
Aloe VeraAloe vera
|
2 ft60 cm | 2 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Burro's TailSedum morganianum
|
18 inches45 cm | 3 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide | 10–11 | Partial Sun |
Christmas CactusSchlumbergera bridgesii
|
2 ft60 cm | 1.5 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 10–12 | Partial Shade |
Crown of ThornsEuphorbia milii
|
3 ft90 cm | 3 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 10–11 | Full Sun |
EcheveriaEcheveria spp.
|
12 inches30 cm | 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Elephant BushPortulacaria afra
|
4 ft1.2 m | 10 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 10–11 | Full Sun |
Fishhook Barrel CactusFerocactus wislizeni
|
4 ft1.2 m | 4 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 8–11 | Full Sun |
Flaming KatyKalanchoe blossfeldiana
|
12 inches30 cm | 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide | 10–12 | Partial Sun |
Ghost PlantGraptopetalum paraguayense
|
18 inches45 cm | 0.5 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 7–11 | Full Sun |
Golden Barrel CactusKroenleinia grusonii
|
3 ft90 cm | 3 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Hen and ChicksSempervivum tectorum
|
9 inches23 cm | 0.5 ft tall, 1 ft wide | 3–8 | Full Sun |
Jade PlantCrassula ovata
|
3 ft90 cm | 4 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 10–11 | Full Sun |
Living StonesLithops spp.
|
2 inches5 cm | 0.15 ft tall, 0.15 ft wide | 10–11 | Full Sun |
Old Man CactusCephalocereus senilis
|
2 ft60 cm | 10 ft tall, 1.5 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Orchid CactusEpiphyllum spp.
|
2 ft60 cm | 2 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 10–11 | Partial Shade |
Pencil CactusEuphorbia tirucalli
|
6 ft1.8 m | 15 ft tall, 8 ft wide | 10–12 | Full Sun |
Peruvian Apple CactusCereus repandus
|
6 ft1.8 m | 20 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Pincushion CactusMammillaria spp.
|
6 inches15 cm | 0.5 ft tall, 0.5 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Ponytail PalmBeaucarnea recurvata
|
5 ft1.5 m | 15 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Prickly Pear CactusOpuntia spp.
|
5 ft1.5 m | 6 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 4–11 | Full Sun |
Red YuccaHesperaloe parviflora
|
3 ft90 cm | 4 ft tall, 4 ft wide | 5–10 | Full Sun |
SaguaroCarnegiea gigantea
|
15 ft4.6 m | 40 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Snake PlantDracaena trifasciata
|
18 inches45 cm | 3 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 10–12 | Partial Shade |
String of HeartsCeropegia woodii
|
12 inches30 cm | 3 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 10–12 | Partial Sun |
String of PearlsCurio rowleyanus
|
12 inches30 cm | 0.5 ft tall, 2 ft wide | 9–11 | Partial Sun |
Zebra HaworthiaHaworthiopsis attenuata
|
6 inches15 cm | 0.5 ft tall, 0.5 ft wide | 10–11 | Partial Shade |
Spacing is center to center — measure between planting holes, not between the edges of the plants. Mature size and hardiness ranges are catalog values and shift with cultivar and local conditions.
How to use this chart
Many succulents multiply by offsets and pups, so the plant you set out becomes a colony. Spacing for the eventual clump rather than the single rosette is the difference between a planting that fills in and one that has to be dug apart every few years.
Airflow matters more here than in most categories. Succulents and cacti packed tight hold moisture between them after rain or irrigation, and that is where rot starts — a visible gap of dry, gritty surface between plants is doing real work, not wasting space.