Succulents: Beyond the Fad

Learn more about what makes succulents so cool (including why they're so darn cute).

At this point, you've probably seen at least 3 succulents. EVERYONE has one. They're tiny, they're easy to care for, and, most importantly, they add to your ~aesthetic~. All of these things make them great house plants, but there is a lot about them that makes them really REALLY cool.

*Juicy* Leaves

Okay, so now you're probably thinking, "Why on earth is this woman calling leaves juicy, what is wrong with her?? She's just a weird plant lady." While this might be true, succulent's cute leaves are actually a very unique adaptation that helps them survive when you forget to water them for two months straight.

In their natural habitat (the desert), succulents are exposed to scorching hot temperatures and very little rain. All this heat can quickly suck all the water out of a tiny plant, so the plants that survived had to adapt* to their harsh environments. Each of these leaves can store a relatively massive amount of fluid inside of it, keeping the plant well-nourished during the most intense droughts.

Haworthia cymbiformis: An excellent example of the water-storing leaves of a succulent

If you look at the picture above, you can see that the leaves look really shiny and smooth. This is from the waxy surface of the leaf. Most succulents have unique leaf adaptations that help retain humidity near or under the surface of the leaf. Being able to do this allows them to reduce the amount of water that they lose as the sun beats down on them or as an arid wind flies by. Having a waxy surface will help H. cymbiformis keep its water inside the leaf because this surface (or "cuticle") is made of fatty acids and lipids-the same molecules that makes oil group together in water.

Other succulents have different surface adaptations.....like hair!

Crassula tomentosa: a succulent covered in a thick pubescence

This fine hair is called pubescence (it's okay, go ahead and giggle), and helps trap humid air around the plant to be reabsorbed into the leaf. This way, as the sun is evaporating tiny water molecules from the leaf, some of the molecules are staying behind, waiting for the leaf to reabsorb them.

Leaves..?

While many succulent leaves are cute, plump, and fuzzy, there are others that are....a little less friendly. You might know these succulents as CACTI.

Echinocactus grusonii: cactus with thick, succulent stem and spiny leaves

While they don't look quite the same as the little plant in your windowsill, cacti are actually quite similar to them. However, they don't use their leaves for photosynthesis, they use their stems. They also store all the water and nutrients that they need to survive in this stem. Its water storage capacity makes the stem "succulent."

Instead of having leaves that store water, they now have leaves that protect their water storage. Each spine on the cactus is actually an adapted leaf. Over time, their leaves turned from the green growths we know and love, to hardened spears to defend against predators. This protects the cactus from other animals that would love to take all the water that it has stored up during during the rainy times.

Cephalocereus senilis: A cactus covered in white hairs (that are modified spines) as well as hidden yellow spines. This hair helps to conserve water and protect from frost.

Interesting eats

Now, you all know that the Aloe vera plant can soothe burns. But, there are many succulents that can effect humans in other ways.

Lophophora williamsii: Commonly known as "Peyote,"

The Lopophora williamsii is a spine-less cactus whose "buttons" contain a chemical called "mescaline." This chemical will induce hallucination and intense psychoactive sensations, as well as physiological distress. This cactus was used in many Native American rituals and is endangered today.

I'm glad I got to share a few of many of the things that make succulents so unique and cool. Stay tuned for another article on how to propagate your own succulents!