Only if you don't want the plants to drown! I know that sounds flippant, but I've read a ton of things on this forum and everything and everyone just keeps repeating drainage, drainage, drainage. Well, I looked at a cute pot I had and decided the tiny drain hole at the bottom would be enough for a Sedum 'Chocolate drop'. I put my plant in it and it looked great all summer, and even most of the winter. I could even see new growth. Until we got 3 days of rains in late February/early March. Now the plant is dead. Dead as a can be. It just drowned in all the water. I learned the hard way it wasn't enough drainage.

Rose Smith you don't give an indication of where you live so I'll just tell you what I know from a Florida prospective. I've never done one personally but I did help a friend with one and I watched how it progressed over several years. She had drilled holes in the birdbath and I helped her with well draining soil. We can get tons of rain during the summer (better than in the winter!). Some plants/succulents can take all that water better than others so this is where knowing what does well in your area really helps. You can FORGET sempervidiums here, for example. If you have to go out and buy all new plants that you are not familiar with it could be a pricy mistake. If you already grow a lot of plants that you know at can divide it could work for you.

pls post a pic of the bird bath you would like to use.

If you don't live in a wet, rainy climate, you do not need drainage holes if the soil is very mounded and you use lots of pumice/lava rock in the potting medium. It is very hard to drill large holes in a bird bath--I tried it--and it is much easier to make a succulent "mountain" where all the water runs off quickly.

I agree with Laura that you can experiment with readily available succulents and see how it goes.

I have succulents in a bird bath without holes...however I live in So Cal and we get very little rain and I don’t over water. I believe I placed some small rocks at the bottom (not the entire bottom filled and went from there). It has not been an issue and I have had it for years. Good luck.

I know a woman who has a succulent filled birdbath, and she has no holes in hers, but I think it comes down to where you live on this planet. Somewhere like Florida I would never attempt this, but Californians can get away with it:). Zero rain for 6+ months. Location location location!

The woman also only has Graptopetalum paraguayense aka Ghost Plant in her bird bath. I personally find this plant one of the easiest to grow. It does look nice because her plants have some age to them so a lot of the stems almost touch the ground.

Jeez, let´s all try and confuse the lady. Lots of people have said what we ALL KNOW - and have had it confirmed by experience - drainage holes are totally essential for succulents. Then 2 good folks appear and contradict this excellent advice. Makes us look a load of dummies.

Wow. Spanish Fly... sensitive much? If I have a different experience and it worked for me in my climate, that makes it wrong and confusing? Sorry to confuse you and the original poster.

Here’s my MIL’s...