cactus and succulents

As a cactus and succulents lover, I madly wanted to write a blog about them......

While there's a difference between cacti and succulents, they're also closely related. "Cactus" denotes a botanical family. Succulents are a broader group referring to a type of plant included in several botanical families. While all cacti are considered to be succulents, some succulents are not cacti.

Cacti and Succulent Popularity

Cacti (the bigger ones, at least) are well known even to those who have little interest in horticulture, likely in part because Hollywood westerns turned cacti into iconic figures. Succulents have also increased in popularity due to their low-maintenance care, making them an ideal choice for first-time plant owners.

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Differences Between Cacti and Succulents

Despite their close relationship, there are some important differences between cacti and succulents:

• Cactus plants generally have few or no leaves. 
• Cacti are distinguished from the rest of the succulents by the rounded indentations along their stems. These are modified buds called "areoles." From the areoles spring the spines (usually) for which cacti are best known. 
• A wide variety of non-cactus succulents are native to different regions across the world. By contrast, almost all kinds of cacti are native only to the New World.

Just as cacti stand out because of their areoles, once you're introduced to the non-cactus succulents, it's usually relatively easy to pick them out from other plants. Because they store water in their foliage and must be tough enough to survive challenging climates, most sport leaves or modified leaves that, while firm to the touch, have a swollen, juicy look (thus the name, "succulent") to them. Succulents range from the tiny "living stone" to the giant saguaro that grows up to 50 feet tall at maturity.

While people do not eat most types of succulents, there are a few edible varieties. You can use the tasty, nutritious leaves of purslane (a common lawn weed and succulent) to create salads. Additionally, some people drink the juice from the aloe vera plant.