Ep. 15 - What does "Succulent" actually mean?
Succulents are tremendously popular, as much for their sculptural desert beauty as their reputation for being hardy and tough.
But when “succulent” is used to describe plants, what does it actually mean? The Plant Daddies attempt to clarify that, talk about how they grow their own favorite succulents, and share some advice for the plants most often being described when someone says, “I love succulents!”
Mentioned in this episode:
how and why the characteristic of “succulence”, or fleshy tissue designed to store water, has evolved in many completely unrelated plant families
what counts as being a “succulent”?
why the care is not the same for every succulent plant
Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, or CAM
so what about Cacti?
general care practices for the plants most commonly known as Succulents, our favorites, why we like them, and why we enjoy growing them
Many classic succulents are colorful, compact, rosette-forming plants, and others are more upright, but typically, these conventional succulents thrive in strong light, heat, and require infrequent watering.
These succulents from the Milkweed family are popular for their unique and dramatic flowers, but are more closely related to Plumeria and Hoyas than they are to Cacti or the more familiar succulents from above. Their care is similar, however, because they are from similar ecosystems.
Cacti are members of the same family, and are indeed succulent, but there is tremendous diversity in these plants, with some coming from hostile deserts, and others from steamy jungles. There is even a genus that still has leaves! Their care is similarly diverse, and many non-Cactaceae plants are colloquially referred to as Cacti, though they belong to other taxonomic families.
Some succulents are more fibrous than fleshy, like these Sansevieria and Agave.
While many succulents are more or less upright, who doesn’t love a trailing succulent?
Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus, with species coming from many different ecosystems. Some, like the Poinsettia, aren’t very succulent, but others are commonly confused with cacti because they share similar visual characteristics like spines and the absence of conspicuous leaves, while others have impressive foliage. There are some grown for their flowers, and they tend to make fantastic houseplants.
Peperomia are even succulent! While some come from more arid climates, many are jungle epiphytes, and require much more water and humidity, and often less light than their desert-dwelling peers.
Once you get interested in succulents, there are many very collectible oddities out there that offer completely unique forms, colors, and growing habits, and though their care is often similar, it’s always worth checking into the specific plant you are growing to make sure that you’re offering it what it needs to do its best.