7 Best Rocks for Your Succulent Garden

Succulent mania is sweeping the nation. You may have noticed stunning photos of these plants taking over the Instagram feeds of gardeners and interior designers near you. Succulents are a fascinating family of plants that store water in their stems or leaves. They offer an endless variety of striking colors, shapes, and textures to delight the eye.

Another reason for the extreme popularity of succulents is that they require very little maintenance and watering. Succulents can thrive in almost any environment and you don’t have to do much to keep them happy. This makes them the perfect no-fuss, no-hassle plant for the busy or forgetful gardener. After the initial planning and planting, you can just sit back, relax and enjoy your low-maintenance landscaping.

While succulents are gorgeous on their own, they look even better when surrounded or paired with natural stone. Especially in outdoor gardens, stone can visually complement plants or provide a protective ground cover around them. Rocks and succulents are a match made in heaven.

Now, when we say “rocks for your succulent garden”, we don’t just mean a rock you might pick up on the side of the road. Natural stone is a world unto itself, with different sizes, types, and colors available for decorative purposes. For example, boulders are rocks that are generally 1 foot across or bigger. Crushed rock is made up of angular pieces of stone that have been sorted according to their general size. Rubble refers to larger pieces of crushed rock. Cobbles and pebbles are smooth and rounded stones. These are just a few of the natural stone products available for pairing with succulents.

So, What Are the Best Rocks for Your Succulent Garden?

To answer this question, we consulted two of our favorite (and local) gardening gurus. Here’s our short list of the top natural stone products and rocks to pair with your succulent garden:

1. Red Lava ¾” Crushed Rock
2. Desert Gold 3/8”Crushed Rock
3. Gambler’s Gold ¾” Crushed Rock
4. Mexican Beach Pebbles
5. Baja Cresta Boulders
6. Gold Quartzite Boulders
7. Baja Cresta Rubble

So, why did our experts choose these rocks for your succulent garden, and, more importantly, where and when should you use them? Laura Eubanks is a Southern California garden designer, famous for her “succulent tapestry” designs. Her YouTube channel has 10,000+ subscribers and over a million combined views. She’s a clear favorite when it comes to creating spectacular outdoor gardens that require little to no maintenance.

Here’s What Laura Has to Say:

“When designing with succulents, my crushed rock, boulder, and pebble choices are of utmost importance! Selecting beautiful rock in an assortment of textures, sizes, and colors puts my installations in a class by themselves. Rocks are, in my opinion, as important as plants when creating a gorgeous succulent garden.

My go-to products for top dressing (surrounding the succulents) are Red Lava or Desert Gold, in 3/8″ or 3/4″ sizes. Often, I will layer Red Lava 3/4″ over Desert Gold 3/8″ to accentuate specific plant vignettes.

What Boulders Should I Add to My Succulent Garden?

My favorite boulders are the rich browns and reds in Baja Cresta or the warm gold tones in Gold Quartzite. These big boulders are fun to place as focal points around the succulent garden.

Running “ribbons” of chunky rubble throughout my gardens is my final signature touch and serves to add a three-dimensional visual element to the design. These ribbons also make a baby garden appear more mature. You can use Baja Cresta rubble for this as well.

You can check out more of Laura’s work at Design For Serenity and follow her installations on YouTube under Laura Eubanks.

Practical Tips for Landscape Rock in Succulent Gardens

Interviewing Laura Eubanks was inspiring, but we didn’t stop there. Laurie Fenly, Southwest Boulder’s horticulture expert, shared a few insider tips that blew us away.

Don’t Make This Mistake, Says Laurie:

“In a full sun area, choose your colors wisely. The extra heat from darker materials can burn sensitive succulent leaves. Stick with a lighter color rock in sunny areas.”

And her top pick for a succulent-rock pairing?

One product that stands out to Laurie is Gambler’s Gold crushed rock. Many succulents have pink edges or highlights, so the pink shades in Gambler’s Gold can bring those colors to life. While the rose tones of Gambler’s Gold complement most succulents, the yellow and gold hues provide a contrast. This creates the perfect balance between stone and succulent.

Another option around succulents for those of you who love a more modern look is Mexican Beach Pebble. These pebbles are round and uniform, creating a calming effect around your succulent garden.

And the Best Part?

Mexican Beach Pebbles come in a variety of color combinations. From black to tan to red, there’s sure to be one that appeals to you.

My Succulents Are Indoors or in Planters and Pots. Do I Still Need Rocks?

In a word, yes!

Even if you only have succulents indoors or in planters, rocks are still your best friend when it comes to making succulent arrangements.

You can top-dress your planters with the same rocks for your succulent garden that Laura recommended, like Red Lava, Desert Gold, or Gambler’s Gold. Gently surround your succulents to make an attractive frame for them in the pot. Just adding a few small pebbles to your planters can make all the difference.

If you’ve read this far, you deserve a bonus tip: River Rock and White Criva are two more rocks to try with your succulents. We spotted them in a few of Design for Serenity’s projects like this one.

Have your own favorite rock to pair with your succulent garden? Let us know in the comments!