Why Do Succulents Flower?
Like all other plants, succulents flower to attract pollinators. It is nature’s way of surviving and ensuring the production of the next generation. And how do they do this?
By producing seeds within the flowers. Flowers contain reproductive parts of the plant. Flowers are brightly colored and sweetly scented to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds.
In the wild, succulents rely on insects and other animals for pollination to reproduce. In cultivation, flowers can also be self-pollinated using a paintbrush to pollinate the flowers. The goal is the same–seed production. The seeds can then be harvested and germinated to produce new plants.
Plenty of succulent and cacti growers reproduce their plants this way, through seed collection. However, there are other ways to reproduce succulents such as leaf or stem propagation so harvesting the seeds is not a requirement in order to multiply succulents.
Read more about succulent propagation in this article “4 Easy Ways to Propagate Succulents: A Step-by-Step Guide”.
Do Succulents Die After Flowering?
Fortunately, most succulent plants do not die after flowering, although some do. Monocarpic plants are plants that die after they flower. The plant dies after it’s done blooming which is why it is also called the bloom of death.