But my real interest is in hardy succulents that can take a tough winter outdoors and can contribute to the outdoor landscape. Most of these plants have the wonderful attribute of changing color with the passing seasons. In summer, they tend to be green or grayish. Cool weather brings out red, purple, or brown. In the spring, as new growth begins and nights are still cool, they can look like colorful gems.
Sunlight also brings out their colors.
They prefer a site with good drainage and sunlight. Being succulent, they resist drought. Most can tolerate quite poor soil. If you live where summers are very hot, a little shade or extra water can help, but generally they're quite carefree, and are a great solution to landscape problems such as dry slopes or rocky, infertile soil. I've divided the information here into two pages, each of which has a nice assortment of color pictures.