I am renaming our book recommendation this week to a Succulent Book Review! I can never have enough books about succulents. We are suckers for succulents and when I was at my local library last week, I picked up this great book about succulents, “Succulents for Beginners.” The funny thing was, when I brought it home and my 11-year-old daughter looked at it, she said, “Mommy, why do you have a beginner’s book? You are an expert.” While I enjoyed the compliment, I know that you can never stop learning about anything. Succulents are a passion and I love a well-researched and presented book on the subject.
We just finished holding our annual Succulent Pumpkin Class at our studio, and we shared tips on how to propagate succulents, how to add them to pumpkins and the best type of soil to use to grow them. This book is great about showing how to propagate succulents and also what the best soil options are for succulent and cactus.

Large succulent pumpkin planters make wonderful Thanksgiving centerpieces. Designs by Flower Duet. Photo by Kit Wertz.
This book is an overview on succulents, so if you are looking for a more comprehensive book about types of succulents and cacti, then perhaps a succulent book by Debra Lee Baldwin might be a better choice. My favorite page in Succulents For Beginners, is the one that shows baby succulents growing out of individual succulent leaves. This book is great for people who have succulents at home and are looking for guidance on how to keep the happy and how to make new succulent plants from their current crop.
From the Amazon Page on this book:
“Succulents for Beginners is the perfect introduction to this friendly and forgiving plant family. Misa Matsuyama–the bestselling author of The Gardener’s Guide to Succulents–shows you how to plant and maintain the most popular varieties of succulents and cacti with reassuring advice and minimum fuss.
This book has over 200 clear, color photos and illustrations and is absolutely packed full of all the basic information you need to keep succulents thriving, including:
- A detailed month-by-month growing guide explaining all the planting and maintenance steps–everything from propagating and basic watering to repotting and group planting
- A clear overview of the basic seasonal types and most popular succulent families and their particular characteristics
- Which plants, tools, soils, and containers to use for the best results
- Answers to frequently asked questions, giving clear, concise solutions to the most common issues encountered by beginners
- A special section on how to create a healthy environment for your plants so you can enjoy them for many years to come
- Inspiring and creative ways to display your succulents in different rooms and locations–indoors or outdoors
The month-by-month format and simple, yet thorough, instructions will have you referring to this handy resource again and again. Gorgeous photos and helpful tips invite you to bring more and more of these plants into your life.”