Succulents: The forgetful gardener’s best friend
By: Sara Mandujano Velazquez
Tags: Gardening, Plants, Botany, Adaptation, Succulents

Fleshy, resistant and beautiful. We’ve all seen them as part of modern décor, but few are that ones that really know what they are.

Meet the succulents

In botany, succulents are plants that have adapted to extreme arid conditions by becoming thick, fleshy and engorged in order to increase water retention. These adaptations can be see in the roots, leaves or stem of the plant, which not only makes them resistant, but also gives them the bold appearance that has caught the eye of more than one interior designer.

To the surprise of many, succulents are not a family within the plant kingdom. In fact, succulents encompass several families of plants, however not all plants within each of those families are succulents.

Most cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.

The two families with the largest number of species classed as succulents are the Cactacea family, with 1600 species,andthe Aizoaceae, with 2000 species. However it is the Crassulaceae family that has become the “cover girl” of the succulents, boasting a grand 1300 species considered as succulents due to their leaf adaptations, and which are spread throughout the world.

Succulent frenzy

As people become conscious of our need to care for our planet, many are making an effort to become more “green” which includes having some kind of plant at home, at the office, or both. However, these are hectic times and most don’t have time to spare on caring for said plants, thus many have opted for succulents, which can endure the sporadic watering of a forgetful owner.

“Succulents [are] a great option for emerging young adults to turn a house, apartment, or basement room into a home.” — Christopher Enroth on Millennials and Succulents

In addition, succulents have become particularly popular as ornamental plants among interior designers and landscapers due to the sculptural and geometric patters they often display, which allow for the creation of eye-catching designs. In addition, these are plants that can survive with minimal light, deeming them suitable for interiors, which is always a big plus as apartments continue to gain terrain over houses.

Further, many succulents characterize themselves due to the ease with which they can propagate, also an adaptation to the harsh conditions of their natural habitat. Many of these plants are able to propagate through sexual and asexual methods, the latter providing many possibilities for accelerated rates of production to meet the market demands, thus becoming an appealing market for many.

Too good to be true

Unfortunately, the high resistance that has made succulents so attractive to many, particularly to millennials, if media is to be believed, can also pose a threat to our ecosystems.

Due to their high endurance, succulents can often adapt to pretty much any environment they are introduced into. However, sometimes they adapt so well that they overpower native species in said environment and become a threat to biodiversity, thus becoming classed as Invasive Alien Species.

Common examples of invasive succulent species are the Aloes, which are popular due to their medicinal properties. Regrettably, they also pose a threat to biodiversity in foreign ecosystems due to their rapid growth and propagation, which can ultimately suffocate native species.

Aloe Vera, a succulent of the Asphodelaceae Family, planted in a pot to avoid a negative impact in a foreign environment.

However, there is no need to despair. The thousands of species classed as succulents can be found throughout the globe, particularly species belonging to the Cheirolepidiaceae and the Crassulacae families. Hence, it is just a matter of researching what the native succulent species are in each area and making an effort to work around these.

Some tips

Given that the succulent frenzy shows no sign of slowing down, here are some tips for their care: