Succulents & Cactus
1,687 US plant patents cover succulents & cactus, across 19 genera. 721 of them (43%) have already expired — those plants are in the public domain and anyone may propagate and sell them.
Genera in this group
| Genus | Patents | Free to propagate | Next to expire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euphorbia | 640 | 391 | November 1, 2026 |
| Kalanchoe | 346 | 262 | December 1, 2026 |
| Sedum | 134 | 19 | September 26, 2027 |
| Echeveria | 91 | 0 | April 25, 2029 |
| Portulaca | 84 | 28 | June 16, 2031 |
| ×Mangave | 63 | 0 | June 18, 2036 |
| Sansevieria | 63 | 1 | January 23, 2032 |
| Delosperma | 56 | 1 | September 9, 2031 |
| Senecio | 50 | 10 | May 26, 2027 |
| Aloe | 43 | 0 | June 6, 2029 |
| ×Gasteraloe | 18 | 0 | September 26, 2036 |
| Rhipsalidopsis | 16 | 2 | February 22, 2029 |
| Crassula | 15 | 0 | May 27, 2035 |
| Agave | 14 | 0 | February 1, 2027 |
| Haworthia | 13 | 0 | August 14, 2029 |
| Schlumbergera | 13 | 4 | April 14, 2028 |
| Aeonium | 10 | 0 | June 6, 2029 |
| Yucca | 10 | 3 | December 1, 2032 |
| Opuntia | 8 | 0 | September 14, 2029 |
Coming off patent next
- EuphorbiaNovember 1, 2026
- KalanchoeDecember 1, 2026
- AgaveFebruary 1, 2027
- SenecioMay 26, 2027
- SedumSeptember 26, 2027
- SchlumbergeraApril 14, 2028
- RhipsalidopsisFebruary 22, 2029
- EcheveriaApril 25, 2029
- AeoniumJune 6, 2029
- AloeJune 6, 2029
This grouping is ours, not the USPTO’s. A plant patent records a botanical genus; it never says “succulent or cactus”. We group genus by genus, which means the grouping is only as good as that judgement — and a genus that spans two kinds appears under both. For the precise answer, use genus.
A patent expiring frees the plant, not the name. The cultivar name is always safe to use; a trade name may still be a live trademark. See what you may call it.