SUCCULENTS AND CACTI

One of the most fascinating and interesting groups of plants are the cacti and succulents.  With global warming upon us and increasing concern about water smart gardening,  these plants become more a attractive choice for your garden .  This site couldn't even begin to touch the tip of the iceberg in relaying information on this topic but we can introduce you to this class of plants and the idea of using them effectively in your garden landscape.  We encourage you to use the internet to find much more specific information on this subject for the particular plants you are interested in.   Better yet, try a succulent garden for that full sun, hot, dry location in your yard.  See some examples below.

GENERAL TIP FOR GROWING CACTI AND SUCCULENTS:  THESE PLANTS DON'T NEED SUPPLEMENTAL FERTILIZING AND DOING SO COULD KILL THEM.  They store water and minerals as an adaptation to dryness and heat therefore supplemental feeding creates toxic levels of nutrients to build up. By definition, a succulent plant is any plant that has the capability of storing water and nutrients  allowing it to endure drought and heat for a sustained period of time.  Just because succulents have these special adaptive features doesn't mean that they wouldn't appreciate regular periodic watering as long as they are growing in very well drained soils which are allowed to fully dry between watering.

We have produced a page with a listing of Plant Families containing Succulent plants (including cacti)  along with the related genera.   For Cacti,  this listing includes a separate list of the commonly recognized genera within the cactus family.  We hope this will be helpful to you. 

For information about large succulent plants, we recommend the following book

"Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants" by Mary and Gary Irish, Timber Press, 2002