As beautiful as they are, roses, sadly, have a short life span. And while we can’t deny how awesome it is to be on the receiving end of a blossoming bouquet of red roses, we have an alternative for you. One that the internet is going crazy for!
Say hello to the Greenovia dodrantalis, also known as the mountain rose. It’s a type of succulent, so you already know it’s much hardier than a rose and tough to kill!
Though it’s most commonly found in a blue-green color, a harder-to-find pretty pink version has been making the rounds around social media and we’re here for it. With light pink and lavender petals, the mountain rose looks shockingly like a regular rose that’s just starting to bloom. But unlike an actual rose, these babies will stay alive and thrive for as long as you can keep them healthy.
These guys are pretty rare and hard to find in stores. But luckily, you may be able to purchase seeds or full plants online over at Etsy. The sellers at Rare Succulents have the pink ones for $20. Other sellers have seeds starting at around $5 on Etsy. Just keep in mind that seeds will take about two years to fully grow. We think it’s worth the wait, though. Don’t you?
In terms of care, these succulents don’t need much water and will do well in a sunny, warm environment. They can also be either indoor or outdoor plants. Just make sure the temperature doesn’t get frigid. When the mountain rose is fully grown, it’ll be around 6 inches in height.
As with all succulents, you can later choose to propagate them in order to make more. To do this, you simply snip the smaller plants — known as pups or offsets — that eventually grow off the main plant and let them continue to grow in their own container. Check out this piece for more instructions.
If you’re lucky, your mountain rose will blossom tiny yellow flowers in the spring, bringing an added layer of wow to what is already a show-stopping succulent.
There are a number of other succulents that do a fair imitation of flowers. They’re a bit easier to grow than their more dainty counterparts, though, which makes them a great option for less experienced gardeners. How pretty would these look outside your home?
Echeveria, for example, are a family of flower-shaped succulents that come in a number of pastel colors. They are native to Central America, and their lovely rosettes store water. They are very easy to take care of and can withstand drought.
Another type you might want to consider is roseum (Sedum spurium), which is native to the Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. This succulent also thrives in Iran and Turkey. Roseum is known to be good in nutritionally poor soil.
This type of succulent is called a zwartkop (Aeonium arboreum). It is also referred to as a “black rose” because of the beautiful burgundy color of the leaves. This succulent prefers full sun.
The Aoneium sunburst, which is a different variety of Aeonium arboreum, has leaves with pink edges that change color in full sun! They’ll turn red.
Consider sempervivum, also known as “hen and chicks” or “houseleeks.” This is another family of succulents, related to the echeveria. They thrive in heat and cold, low light and full light. The “hen and chick” moniker comes from the fact that the mother plant, also called a hen, sends offsets that cluster about the base like chicks.
These offsets can be left alone or repotted.
Did you know that succulents could be so beautiful? Pack your garden with these and you’ll be a master gardener in no time — even with a brown thumb!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
