If you want a beautiful garden that can survive extreme drought conditions, it is time you become familiar with succulents.
What are succulents?
Succulents are plants with highly specialized anatomy that allows them to withstand prolonged drought conditions. Like camels, they store water for later use. It is most likely a succulent if you see a plant with fleshy stems, roots, or leaves.
Leaf Succulents
These are probably the succulents most everyone can recognize. Examples include Aloe, Agave, and Jade Plant.
Stem Succulents
These succulents store large amounts of water in their stems, usually round, columnar, or swordlike.
Root Succulents
Some succulents store their water underground in large tuberous roots.
How to Care for Succulents
Some succulents like dry heat, and others do best in the jungle's moist shade. It is a myth that succulents require little to no care.
Those succulents that prefer warm heat grow best outdoors in full sun, while the jungle succulents love life under a shady tree or patio. Most succulents require feeding during the growing season. Some need to be pruned or split when they grow too big. There is a succulent for almost every region of the world, even areas with snow, so do not worry that there is no one you can grow in your area.
How to Display Succulents
Succulents do very well in containers, so if you have limited space or live in an apartment with a small balcony, you are lucky! Terracotta containers are ideal for tall plants. The terracotta's weight balances top-heavy plants, so you will not come home to a toppled succulent.
Line a woven basket with plastic or an old dish, and you have the perfect vessel for spiny, smooth-skinned succulents.
Milky white succulents, or plants with white spines, look lovely in metal containers. Just ensure the container is made of a metal that will not rust. Stainless steel is a good option.
Do not limit yourself to traditional containers. These plants are perfect to plant in unique found objects.
Source: wayfair.com
Links
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus