Not to be confused with cactus; nearly all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".[1]
Succulent plants may store water in various structures, such as leaves and stems. The water content of some succulent organs can get up to 90–95%,[2] such as Glottiphyllum semicyllindricum and Mesembryanthemum barkleyii.[3] Some definitions also include roots, thus geophytes that survive unfavorable periods by dying back to underground storage organs may be regarded as succulents. The habitats of these water-preserving plants are often in areas with high temperatures and low rainfall, such as deserts, but succulents may be found even in alpine ecosystems growing in rocky soil. Succulents are characterized by their ability to thrive on limited water sources, such as mist and dew, which makes them equipped to survive in an ecosystem that contains scarce water sources.
Succulents are not a taxonomic category, since the term describes only the attributes of a particular species; some species in a genus such as Euphorbia, or family such as Asphodelaceae may be succulent, whereas others are less so or not at all. Many plant families have multiple succulent species found within them, more than 25 plant families.[4] In some families, such as Aizoaceae, Cactaceae, and Crassulaceae, most species are succulents. In horticultural use, the term is sometimes used in a way that excludes plants that botanists would regard as succulents, such as cacti. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking and unusual appearance, as well as their ability to thrive with relatively minimal care.
^Dimmitt, Mark. "The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society". www.tucsoncactus.org. Archived from the original on 22 August 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
In botany, succulentplants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid...
Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulentplant with small pink or white flowers that is native...
small succulentplant species, commonly called "Hen and chicks" Echeveria, a genus of succulentplant species Sedum, a genus of succulentplant species...
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the Namib Desert. Succulent Karoo vegetation types The Succulent Karoo is notable for the world's richest flora of succulentplants, and harbours about...
content of water also disrupt plants' water uptake. Succulentplants store water in their stems or leaves. These include plants from the family Cactaceae...
some cacti. Many succulentplants in both the Old and New World – such as some Euphorbiaceae (euphorbias) – are also spiny stem succulents and because of...
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arborescens, the silver jade plant, silver dollar plant, beestebul, Chinese jade, money plant, or money tree, is a species of succulentplant in the family Crassulaceae...
leaves may well decay, succulent bulb-like structures should form in the bag, and these may be potted up to produce new plants. The process may take upwards...
Lithops is a genus of succulentplants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from...
jelly bean plant, or pork and beans,[citation needed] is a species of Sedum from the plant family Crassulaceae. It is a succulentplant originating in...
known as Aptenia cordifolia, is a species of succulentplant in the iceplant family. It is a creeping plant that forms a carpet of flat-growing perennial...
Pickle plant is a common name for several plants and may refer to: Delosperma echinatum, a succulentplant native to South Africa Kleinia stapeliiformis...
synonyms Crassula lycopodioides and Crassula pseudolycopodioides, is a succulentplant native to South Africa and Namibia, belonging to the family of Crassulaceae...
adolphii), the coppertone stonecrop or golden Sedum, is a species of succulentplant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to Mexico, where it grows...
jade and spekboom in Afrikaans) is a small-leaved succulentplant found in South Africa. These succulents commonly have a reddish stem and leaves that are...
evergreen succulentplant native to the Cape Provinces and Northern Provinces of South Africa. It is sometimes referred to as the "pickle plant" or (inaccurately)...
Kalanchoe millotii is a succulentplant that is native south-central and southeastern Madagascar. It forms a shrub up to a foot high. The leaf is a hazy...
Kalanchoe tomentosa, also known as pussy ears or panda plant, is a succulentplant in the genus Kalanchoe. A native of Madagascar, Kalanchoe tomentosa...
fasciata, is a species of succulentplant from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The species is rare in cultivation; most plants that are labelled as...
species of succulentplant in the jade plant family, Crassulaceae, that is native to Tamaulipas, Mexico. Common names include mother-of-pearl-plant and ghost...
Aloe vera (/ˈæloʊ(i) vɛrə, vɪər-/) is a succulentplant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in...
Aloe humilis, also known as spider aloe is a species of succulentplant in the genus Aloe. It is endemic to South Africa's Cape Province, and is a low...
horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers), succulentplants, and angiosperms (flowering plants). Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta...
laui is a slow-growing perennial succulentplant native to the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. It is a popular decorative plant due to its distinctive pink color...
podagrica is a succulentplant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is native to the tropical Americas but is grown as an ornamental plant in many parts of...
a small shrubby succulentplant known by the common name bonsai crassula, due to its bonsai-like appearance. It is a perennial plant native to the southern...
Huernia macrocarpa is a colorful succulentplant related to the milkweeds. This beautiful plant grows to a height of five or six meters, extending fleshy...