Cacti & Succulents

in the Garden

Adapted from Jack Kelly, Commercial Horticulture Agent

Pima County Cooperative Extension

Cherie Czaplicki

Master Gardener, Maricopa County

Examples of Appealing

Succulent Gardens

Tall

things

Spiky

things Soft

things Repetition

Round

things

Straight

things

Curvy

things

Horizontal

things

Mass

Contrasting Shapes, Colors,

Size, Textures

Asymmetrical Placement

Cactus Garden Amongst

Desert Trees Contrast in:

Color

Shape

Texture

Materials

Backgrounds

Size

Focal points

Trees provide

filtered light

Planting on berms

allows good

drainage

Hard surface

path gives the

visitor a place

from which to

view the garden

What is a succulent?

What is a cactus? • All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents

are cacti

• -- The term “succulent” is an umbrella term, under

which fall cacti and plants we call “succulents”,

-- and a physiological term, meaning plants that

store water in leaves, stems, or roots

Succulent

Succulent Cactus

Botanists sure

make things

confusing!

Cactus

Cactus Flowers - WOW!

Cactus

True cacti are succulents (“succulent”

means plants that store water in roots, stems

or leaves) and are native to the Western

Hemisphere (New World)

• All true cacti have areoles, small nubbin-

like structures found on the body of the

cactus

• Spines, flowers, roots and shoots (new plants) all

develop from the areoles (only a few cacti do not

have spines)

• Cacti bloom repeatedly (polycarpic)

Succulents

Succulents (also store water in roots, stems

or leaves); can be found in both the New

World and the Old World

• Convergent evolution has resulted in similar

“looks” and function of structures in both true cacti

and succulents

• Most, but not all, succulents bloom repeatedly

(polycarpic)

Succulent Plants - Aloes

Know this: “Aloes are from Africa”

and from south of the equator

• Polycarpic (bloom annually)

• Prefer partial/filtered shade

• Succulent leaves arranged in spirals

• Short, rarely woody stems

• Bloom on south of the equator timing

Succulent Plants - Aloes

� Several examples:

A. striata A. variegata A. vera Coral Aloe Partridge Breast Aloe Medicinal Aloe

Succulent Plants – Agaves

Agaves

• Monocarpic (bloom once, then die)

• Most prefer partial or dappled sun (but

some love full sun)

• Succulent leaves are arranged in rosettes,

are rigid & often have dentate (toothed)

margins

• Stems are short or absent

Succulent Plants - Agaves

A few examples of hundreds!

A. americana A. parryi truncata

A. ocahui

A. vilmoriana

Succulent Plants - Yuccas These native succulents love full sun!

Y. Pallida

No trunk, small, often multiple

heads (with multiple bloom stalks!)

Y. Rigida, trunk,

blue, yellow leaf

edges, majestic Y. Baccata

“Banana Yucca”

Succulent Plants - Yuccas More examples of Yuccas

Y. recurvifolia var ‘Margaritaville’

Variegated, does well with

summer afternoon filtered

sun – a newer smaller hybrid,

2’ x 2’

Y. thompsoniana Multi-trunked. Shorter,

many flower stalks Y. treculeana “Spanish Dagger”

watch out for the

spines!

Other Related New World

Succulent Plants

Hesperaloe parviflora “Red Yucca” also has a yellow

form. NOT a yucca, but looks a bit

like one. Full sun to part shade

Nolina microcarpa “Bear grass”

Dasylirion wheeleri Sotol, Desert spoon

Other Related New World

Succulent Plants

Beaucarnia recurvata Growing twice as tall

as a man, the “Ponytail Palm” may

be America’s favorite houseplant

Manfreda maculosa Snake agave, spice agave

Texas tuberose, var “Silver

Leopard”, center

Manfreda/Agave hybrid

“Mangave Macho

Mocha”

Other Succulent Plants – Old World

Adenium – Desert Rose

Aptenia – hearts & flowers

Crassula – Jade Plant, etc

Euphorbia, 2000 species

Gasteria

Haworthia

Mesemb

Senecio, many

Stapeliads

Each of these genera

has many, many species

*except Aptenia – a solitary

species

Which is a Succulent,

Which is a Cactus?

Plant in the Right Location

The right exposure is everything!

•Where’s the sun?

* Many succulents thrive in full sun, though

some do not, especially aloes (from

south of the equator)

* Some agaves thrive in full sun,

though some need filtered sun

•Plants etiolate (grow longer between nodes, or

longer growth tips) with not enough light

•With too much sun, flesh yellows, then browns,

turns white & dies (sunburn)

Plant in the Right Location Microclimates exist in nature,

and also in urban spaces

• Plants surrounded by leafy shrubs are in a cooler

microclimate in summer (such as aloes in Africa)

• Plants under tree canopies, patio roofs or eaves are

in a warmer microclimate in winter

• Plants in full sun or reflected sun (sun bouncing off

walls, sidewalks, gravels) need more water and may

get sunburned

• In too much sun, plant flesh yellows, then browns

(sunburn) (place a piece of shade cloth over the

affected part of the plant in summer)

Plant in the Right Location Winter Protection

• Search web for references for frost tolerance

(i.e., “frost tolerance Agave Americana”

•A house overhang provides frost protection

•Tree canopies likewise provide frost

protection to plants beneath them

•Patios, walls, hardscape areas are warmer-

concrete or stone hold heat, release it at night

•Lower areas of the property are cooler

•SE exposure is generally warmer than the NW

exposure as sun gets there first

Plant in the Right Location “Right Plant, Right Place”

Consider mature size of the plant:

•Place cacti and succulents with spines,

sprawling growth and long branches far enough from foot

traffic areas we we can walk by safely at plant maturity

•Place tall cacti like saguaro, Hildmann’s cereus, organ

pipe, & Mexican fence post so they don’t encroach on the

house or trees when mature!

•Note that plants in pots stay smaller in size than

those in the ground because of limited root space, but be

mindful of foot traffic areas when placing pots in the

landscape

Succulents in Containers

Put on a Show!