Most succulents actively grow and flower in the summer. However, there are some from the southern hemisphere which are winter growers. This can be a bit confusing for us in the northern hemisphere, as those plants will generally go dormant during the warm months when the rest of our succulents are springing into action.
The reason some grow between October and March/April is due to the fact that in their native habitats, conditions are so hot and dry the rest of the year that going dormant then is their only chance at survival. When fall comes and things cool down, these climates generally also get more precipitation – and temperatures are still warm enough to support growth. Confusing things, some species of succulents have the ability to “flip” their growing seasons – they may grow in a southern hemisphere between April and Oct. but in a northern hemisphere habitat between October and April.
[Chart of winter growing succulents]
It helps to research these things, as I spent most of this last summer trying in vain to get some Dioscorea elephantipes (aka “Elephant’s Foot”) seedlings to do something! D. elephantipes are very unusual looking plants when they get older and develop their large pineapple-esque / turtle shell-esque bulbous stem. Mine just looked dead, with no leaves. So, I put them in a hotter, sunnier location and more water – not what they wanted! In actuality, these succulents like some dappled shade and like to be kept somewhat moist…moist in the winter, not so much in the summer. They’re growing well, with deep green vines of leaves, now that it’s November and most of the rest of my succulents are sleeping.
Another example of a winter growing succulent is the Aeonium, native to the Canary Islands. In my experience, they’ll do okay being treated as a summer grower in a greenhouse in my Canadian climate. But they won’t really grow much or get new leaves during this time. Once late September comes though, growth begins again!
The Green Windowsill 