Friendly reminder that “succulents” is a generic term used to refer to plants that have developed thick, fleshy parts to store water in seasonally or permanently arid environments. Saying things like “all succulents are easy” or “all succulents need x amount of light” makes no more sense than generalizing about, say, trees as a group. While you can make a few generalizations (such as a universal need for good drainage), it’s important to remember that needs can vary according to the climate and conditions you are growing in. If you seem to be failing at growing something despite obeying the conventional wisdom you find online, it’s entirely possible said plants need something different in your area.
I feel a lot of people get unnecessarily discouraged because they get highly generalized succulent advice thrown at them without regard to the species they are trying grow or the climate/conditions they’re growing in, and that’s a huge disservice to novice gardeners! A lithops is not an echeveria is not a barrel cactus is not an aloe!
Kihaku-Gato's Garden Blog (tumblr import) 