Wall Succulents
9 Growing Tips & 23 Beautiful Ideas

What are Wall Succulents?

Succulents can be grown in a variety of shapes, sizes, and orientations. If you’ve been thinking of crafting your vertical succulent garden, you’re in the right place!

Wall succulents are regular succulents that can be hung on a wall in various arrangements. Different species of succulent plants can be grouped for wall arrangements, both outdoors and indoors. The positions may have the plants facing the viewer or the sky.

If you have a lot of walls outdoors or indoors, you’re in luck. You can quickly grow succulents at home by placing them on walls. There are many ways and orientations to arrange wall succulents, but let’s first go through the wall succulent setup and essential growing tips.

9 Growing Tips for Your Wall Succulents

All succulents can be grown and crafted to put over the wall. Some succulent species can be more wall-friendly than others, though. For example, succulents in the string species have the flow that is optimum for plants!

However, it’s best to restrict your wall succulent choice to plants that don’t grow out too much. Larger succulents will be harder to maintain in a vertical arrangement.

From my experience, I would recommend you to use these succulents for your wall:

• Kalanchoe Tomentosa (Chocolate Soldier)
• Graptoveria (Blue Pearl)
• Graptosedum hybrid (Blue Giant)
• Sedum hybrid (Golden Glow)
• Pachyphytum (Moon Silver)

But you don’t have to limit yourself to climbing succulent plants or just the above. Almost any succulent can be grown in a vertical arrangement if you follow these tips carefully:

1. Get a Sturdy Shadow Box Frame

You need a shadow box frame to lay down the soil inside effectively.

A shadow box frame has enough depth to hold soil. The box usually has sturdy edges and comes in a variety of size and wood material types.

2. Cover the Box With Landscape Plastic

You wouldn't want the soil to be all over the place!

It would be hard to retain soil if you fill-up the shadow box directly with it. Use only landscape plastic to allow the plants’ roots to make the most out of each watering session.

Don’t forget to use your staple gun to secure landscape plastic in place! Alternatively, you can also use a glue gun.

3. Fill In the Box With Damp Soil

You shouldn't use any ordinary soil for your wall succulents!

The first layer of landscape plastic should be filled up with damp moss. Sphagnum is your best bet on the type of mosses you can use. The moisture will allow newly planted succulents to grow appropriately.

4. Cover the Box With a Wire Screen Mesh

Using a wire screen is essential for a succulent garden!

You will need something more than landscape plastic to make sure your plants don’t fall off. This is where a wire screen mesh comes in. With the help of the wire grid, the plants will hold onto the arrangement better, making it sturdier and easier to maintain.

Cut out the wire mesh to the exact dimensions of the box. While a wire mesh provides excellent support, remember that the initial arrangement will be loose. The wire needs to be permanently fixed with the overall container or frame. Avoid using temporary sticking materials like liquid glue or paper tape.

PRO-TIP

Cutting more than needed is best practice!

Are you afraid your wire mesh won't cover the box properly? Always cut a few inches more than needed. Allow the wire mesh to cover the edges of the wooden box a bit. Use a staple gun along the edges to make sure not a bit of the mesh is hanging loose.

4. Prune the Roots of Your Succulents Before Planting

You should always prune the roots of your succulents!

Pruning the leaves is necessary when they get bigger. And it’s no different for roots either. If you trim the roots a bit, you can prevent the roots of all succulents from tangling inside the box.

6. Remove Excess Soil from the Succulent Roots

Is there soil stuck on the roots of your succulents?

With clean fingers, gently wipe off excess soil from the roots. Wiping off extra dirt will also make the roots dry and ready for being repotted in the new damp soil.

Caring for Wall Succulents

You will need to handle your wall succulents with the same care as you would if they were placed anywhere else!

7. Trimming the Succulent Leaves When Required

Are your succulents poking out too much?

Never let your succulent overgrow. Primarily when its tips are pointing toward you or the shadow space is overcrowded with many succulents around. Overgrowing succulents can even fall out if they are not trimmed properly.

And if they don’t fall out, overgrown succulents can increase the competition for extracting nutrients equally from the damp moss soil.

8. Watering Your Wall Succulents

Don't forget to water your wall succulents on time!

Although the moss helps retain water in the shadow box, that doesn’t mean your succulents won’t require frequent watering. For succulents installed in shadow boxes, their tops would be facing you. This vertical arrangement would require that you take down the box from the wall and lay it on a flat surface. Using a mist bottle, spray it well enough for the moss to become moist.

If your wall succulents are indoors, you should be watering the plants after every two to three weeks. You can also water your wall succulents if they begin to show these signs:

The leaves may begin to bend downward. The leaves will appear wrinkled or shriveled.

It’s even better if you could gently insert your pinky finger to test whether the base of the soil is wet or dry. However, doing this may be impossible if the shadow box is crowded with many plants. So limiting a particular watering session to once a month should be enough.

9. Misting Your Succulents

Make this your motto: Watering once a month, misting more often!

You haven’t hung up your lovely succulent garden to take it down every week, have you? Of course not! This is exactly why you’ll be misting more than watering. With clean water in a spray bottle, mist your succulents once a week in the summer and growing season. In winter, you can limit the misting too and do it only when the leaves of the succulents begin to look droopy.

23 Beautiful Ideas for Your Wall Succulent Arrangement

When talking about wall succulent ideas, there are plenty of ways to go about it! There are so many ways to arrange succulents on a wall. It depends on the aesthetic touch you desire.

1. Classic Planters

So many planters, so little time to display them all on the wall!

Do you love giving your succulents their own personal space? You cannot go wrong with tiny planters.

The best part about this idea is you can go colorful and spontaneous with it. Not all planters have to look exactly the same. You can choose from an array of styles, colors, and patterns. I would recommend you to go for one of these looks:

An all-white planter look with lightweight ceramic planters. An all-black ceramic planter looks on a black or dark wall for a variety of monochrome shades. Earth-toned planters for a wall with brown or rustic shades.

You don’t have to stick with ceramic planters only. You can choose from many materials. If you want to avoid any chances of breaking the planters, I would suggest you choose ones that are made of recycled plastic.

Don’t know where to begin with planters? I recommend getting this pair of 2 indoor wall planters.

2. Long Containers

Want a bigger approach to planters? Choose elongated, shaped containers!

While planters are small and cater to one plant per vessel, containers can have a variety. These containers are elongated, and they can accommodate a variety of plants in one sizeable succulent soil mix.

If you don’t want all your plants in one place, group by group, you can get many containers and restrict only one species to each.

For instance, the kalanchoes can be planted in one container; cacti can go in another, and so on. These plants are usually planted as-is, with the top view toward the sky and not rotated 90 degrees for the top view to come on the front.

3. Boxes of Assorted Sizes

Big or small, an array of plants can fit into any box.

Shadow frame boxes have plenty of space to hold a wire mesh and give a neat and tidy, finished edges look. We’ve already gone through the steps needed to set up a succulent garden wall using boxes.

The only downside to boxes is that there’s (literally) hardly any room for creativity. The look is consistent throughout, making it ideal if you want all your succulents packed into one ample space!

But you can add flair to the monotonous and dull look of a shadow box. Here are a few ways you can paint your shadow box:

• Paint the sides and edges of the shadow box with polka dot patterns.
• Stick removable vinyl stickers on the edges.
• Use permanent markers to draw doodles or anything pattern that amuses you. You can keep things simple yet creative and draw lines on the edges, as though they are coming out from each succulent.

PRO-TIP

Use Acrylic or Wall Paint

Acrylic or wall paint is the best choice for wood. If you use crayons, pastels, or any other medium, it will be temporary or fade away sooner or later.

4. Wood Framing

How about giving your succulents their wooden photo frame on the wall?

If you think boxes are too casual for you, wood framing is a more creative and fun approach! Think of this arrangement like a photo frame. You will need four pieces of elongated wood to make a border around the succulents grouped into space. Here are a few ideas for wood framing:

• Use curved wooden logs all of the same color.
• Mix and match two curved or bent wood logs with two straight pieces.
• Have the wooden framing face outward.

PRO-TIP

Paint the Wood Logs!

Before fixing the logs around the succulents on your wall, paint them using a metallic paint spray or acrylic paints. You can also use the spray to cover the large areas first and then paint patterns on top using acrylic paint.

5. Wooden Planks

Wooden textures will make your succulents look alive than ever!

You can also fix pots into pieces of vertical wood. Choose the wall space where you want to select wooden planks. Depending on the design you wish to, these could be different natural wood species. Some could be mahogany; others can be rosewood, and so on. For example, you can use driftwood for a seaside look!

After laying out the planks, fix the plants on top of them. It’s best to place your succulents in small wooden planters for a consistent look and then nail them onto the planks.

Here are some ways to arrange wooden planks for your succulent wall arrangement:

If you want a monochromatic look, choose one wood color instead. For a dynamic look, consider using wooden planks of two colors. Arrange the planks in an alternative style. Suppose you are using black and white wooden planks. So you can arrange them in a manner that white comes first, then black, then white again, and so on.

6. Birdhouses

A fancy arrangement for both succulents and your feathered friends!

Where planters and containers are best for minimalism, birdhouses will make your outdoor space more fun! You’ll love this idea if you have many birds visiting your garden.

Wooden birdhouses look aesthetic. Look for the ones that have a planter attached at the top. Some birdhouses even have planters attached on either side. Alternatively, you can even pick a normal birdhouse and install a planter on the top or on the sides. You can even paint the birdhouses if they are made of wood.

7. Hanging Spoons

These are not the spoons found in your kitchen!

Have you ever come across gigantic wooden spoons? Their barrels are so huge; you can grow plants inside them! In this type of arrangement, the top view of plants is toward the sky. But since these can be hung from the wall, we can consider it a part of wall succulent arrangements.

PRO-TIP

Ornaments look best in gardens!

If you are using crockery or other statuettes to put your wall succulents in, consider putting them up on a garden wall.

8. Pots and Net

Got a vast space covered with a net?

Wire mesh, screen, or net is crucial to growing succulents in a vertical orientation. But it doesn’t end there. If you already have a massive wall covered with a wall, you’re in luck. You can arrange a frame for the whole area or get it done by a carpenter. You can also use the net as is and tie planters on it.

9. Fix a Shelf on the Wall

There can be many possibilities with a shelf having multiple blocks!

Have you seen one of those multileveled bookshelves? Instead of placing your plant pots on the shelf, think of the tiny shelf spaces as containers. You can block the space at the back using a giant wooden board, or you can take little shadow boxes the size of each shelf opening and fit them inside.

10. A Ladder Against the Wall

Does climbing remind you of a ladder?

You can place a ladder against the wall. Better yet, attach it to hooks on the wall using wires of large diameters. This arrangement is ideal if you want to hang the succulents in plain planters, using just simple hooks.

11. Use an Old Mirror as a Frame

Mirror, mirror...On the wall!

Have you got a big broken antique mirror at home? A mirror with an elegantly curved and embossed border design will take your wall’s succulent arrangement to another level. You can fix the succulents on the wall first and then set the mirror frame around the plants.

12. Set your Succulents Against a Fountain

Is your garden blessed with a wall fountain?

A wall fountain has support at the back. The material of the fountain is mostly either stone or ceramic. In either case, you can get stone textured, or lightweight ceramic planters fixed to the wall. If you have the fountain in the middle and walls on either side, arranging the succulent planters in a vertical row on each side will give you a fancy and royal look.

WARNING!

Watch out for the water!

Yes, fountains look great. And succulents at the back wall of the fountain will look amazing too. But remember that water sprinkling frequently on succulents is not a good idea. Install tour succulents on the fountain wall only if the distance from the water is appropriate.

13. Succulents in a Bricked Wall

A brick wall is ideal for a medieval look.

Why not make your succulents feel like they’re coming straight out of the wall? If you have a wall with stones, having holes between the fixing spaces can become a center for creativity. Remember that the hole needs to be deep, though, and you may have troubling watering the plant now and again.

14. Potted Succulents on a Wire Grid

Do you love wire metal grids?

With a wire grid, you can be open with your color choice. These metal grids are mostly placed at work-from-home office setups or in office spaces. But who says you have to follow the rule? You can use them for your lovely succulents too!

15. Succulents in a Letter Ornament or Ceramic Shapes

Use the first letter of your name as an inspiration!

Do you love modern art? One of the trendiest decor pieces these days is a letter-shaped vessel. While most of these hollow containers come with neon lights installed, why not use a hollow one for your succulent plants instead?

16. Create Different Shapes by Grouping Succulents

Who says you have to arrange your wall succulents only in linear rows and columns?

Have you got many colorful succulents? You can use each color to create a shape. For example, group light green succulents to make a spiral on the wall. But that’s not the only shape you can make! Try grouping succulents of other colors into different forms, such as purple in a circle, dark green in a square, and so on.

17. Using Old Photo or Painting Frames

It's time to take out those antique frames!

Nothing better than a historical touch with old classic-style picture frames. This display is easier to pull off if you already have an empty frame. Regardless, you can always get rid of the glass part. With old photo or painting frames, you can easily pick embossed pieces. Just glue this frame onto a shadow box that is already up on your wall and has succulents inside it!

18. Arrange String Succulents Underneath

String succulents look wonderful when hanging from the bottom of the container!

Bring string succulents into the scene, and nothing remains ordinary. Instead of making these succulents climb the wall from the bottom, begin at the edge of the frame. To pull off this composition, have your tiny succulent plants arranged with the top view facing you (the species other than String ones).

Take the container’s bottom edge. Fill the whole row with string succulents like the string of pearls, the string of dolphins, and so on. It will give the soothing effect of a river flowing from the bottom of the container.

19. String Succulents As Borders

Tiny succulents and strings produce an effortless look.

For this arrangement, it’s best to have a large container with hollow vessels. You can add String succulents so that they grow around the tiny succulent plants and hang from there. You can use a simple wire mesh setup for this arrangement. Plant string succulents on all the corners of the box to give the border effect!

20. Succulent Plants on a Large Wooden Board

Have a wooden block at home? Fix succulents on it for a vertical display!

How about getting one big block of wood? This could be a tricky arrangement as there would be no space in between the planks. Although, you can customize it and make as many holes of different sizes and shapes as you want.

21. Succulents in the Shape of a Wreath

Any wall can become warm and welcoming with a wreath!

A wreath is always hung vertically. So why not give it a shot with succulents too? Here is how you can create your succulent wreath:

• You need a wire mesh in the shape of a wreath.
• Fill it up with sphagnum moss.
• Prune the roots of your succulent plants.
• Fix the plants into the wreath.

Take care of the wreath just as you would of any other succulent arrangement.

22. Succulents in Shiny/Traditional Ceramic Containers

Looking for a more traditional yet daring arrangement?

Have you seen those deep ceramic dishes or pots in traditional marketplaces? You can cover it up with some landscape plastic, moss soil, and wire mesh before filling it up with plants.

23. Multiple Hanging Pots or Terrariums

Who says hanging pots cannot be put up against the wall?

Take many hanging pots and hang them in a row or column against the wall. Although hanging pots have an opening at the top, you can also buy pots or terrariums that have an opening on the side. You’ll have to be more careful with terrariums, though, so it’s best if you get hanging pots with a side opening. That way, your wall succulents will always be looking at you from the opening!

Wall Succulents in a Nutshell

You must use a wooden shadow box frame, landscape plastic, and sphagnum moss soil if you want to create a grouped wall succulent composition that faces you at all times. Remember to stick the landscape plastic with a glue gun before filling up with soil, followed by the wire mesh screen at the top with a staple gun. Ideally, you need to mist your succulents weekly and water them once every month.

For succulent wall arrangements, succulent tops facing toward the viewers are a popular choice. However, you can also make succulent wall arrangements where the top of the plants are facing toward the sky. You can use shadow boxes or even other containers for many types of arrangements!

Are you looking for more spectacular succulents? You wouldn’t want to miss this list of 23 beautiful fuzzy succulents.

Posted in: Wall Succulents Indoor Succulents Gardening Tips Indoor Gardening Succulent Decor Trailing Succulents