The Colorful World of Cacti and Succulents

When we hear the word cacti and succulents most of us would immediately think of hardy, spiny, and drought-tolerant plants.  But apart from what we generally think, the world of cacti and succulents are never boring just like a barren desert.  Remember that a cactus is a succulent plant that can store moisture, but not all succulents are cactus.

Succulents vs. Cacti
Succulents can be classified into 3 categories: leaf succulents (succulents with flat leaves arranged in rosettes), stem succulents (succulents with few leaves), caudiciforms (succulents with swollen base).  They are represented in nearly thirty different plant families.  Cacti, on the other hand, usually have no leaves (except for the Pereskia aculeata, lemon vine, and its close relatives), or, when any are present they soon fall. Most cacti have spines and bristles.  But there are some cacti without spines.  Still, others have long hair or wool-like body covering.

Indoor and Outdoor Cacti and Succulents
Decorative dish gardens of cacti or succulents are perfect indoors. Cacti look best even in hanging baskets suspended in ceiling plus you can save yourself and your kids from those cacti spines. Jade plant (Crassula argentea) and the donkey tail (Sedum morganianum) are popular house plants. 

There are also cacti varieties that are known for their colorful foliage and bizarre shapes.  The Succulent Echeveria, for instance, has foliage in shades of blue-green or pale green, as well as red or pink.  Euphorbia grandicornis has an interesting set of shapes for cactus.  Try checking out for other types that have interesting patterns of the spines. Christmas cacti and other flowering cacti can put orchids to shame. Tiny crassulas and sedums can be seen in many florist shops. 

Yucca filamentosa ‘Bright Edge,’ Agave americana ‘Variegata,’ and Euphorbia characias ‘Emmer Green’ are the best variegated succulents for landscape purposes because they go well with special desert landscape rock.  Organpipe cactus (Lemaireocereus thurberi) or some of the succulents like aloes and agaves are suitable for container gardens.  Other cacti and succulent varieties are even wildlife-friendly.

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