Ruschia viridifolia has very green leaves and reaches up to 0.6 m.  The flowers are pink and appear from summer to autumn. They are ideal filler plants between rocks in sunny positions.

R. maxima and R. strubeniae have large, succulent leaves and medium-sized pink to purple flowers which appear from autumn to spring. They reach up to 1.5 m high and should be planted in combination with other, bigger plants such as Crassula, Cotyledon, Senecio and Aloe. R. maxima is from dry fynbos areas near Graafwater in the Western Cape and is a species that does very well in cultivation.  R. strubeniae is a dry fynbos and renosterveld species occurring from Piketberg.

R. radicans is another species from the west coast, Northern Cape and Namaqualand. It roots easily at its nodes and covers the ground very fast. This species is ideal for terraces, retaining walls and embankments, as it cascades beautifully on angled surfaces. The pink flowers are 13 mm in diameter and appear in spring.

R. acuminata is a stout shrublet up to 0.3 m high, with erect, floral branches. White to pale pink flowers of about 20 mm across appear in masses from December. It grows on the northern slopes of the Langeberg at the entrance to Robinson Pass in the Little Karoo.

R. cradockensis subsp. triticiformis is widely distributed from the Eastern Cape to the Sutherland District in the west. It is a very hardy plant up to 0.3 m tall, spiny and rounded with pink flowers in the winter.

R. knysnana, named after the town of Knysna, is a rigid shrub reaching 0.4 m tall. Flowers are bright reddish pink and 25 mm in diameter, appearing in spring.

Ruschia spinosa. The spinescent shrublet R. spinosa reaches 0.3 m tall and occurs near Matjiesfontein in the southern Great Karoo. Flowers are smallish, rose pink, and appear in spring. This is another species that is well adapted to very harsh conditions.