Succulents & Cacti
In this group of plants, you'll find everything from groundcovers to flowering beauties and eye-catching foliage plants to taller tree-like cactuses. As a group, succulents are plants that have fleshy, engorged foliage that is used to retain water in drier climates and during times of drought. The word succulent actually comes from the Latin for 'juice' or 'sap': sucus. Succulents are wonderful for a variety of uses in the garden, including as additions to planter beds and containers, as foliage color along pathways and walkways, and as pops of green in rock gardens and arid landscapes. We've also included Cacti in this list, because they too are known for their water-retaining quality, and pair well with succulents. The difference is that cacti have, through years of evolution, lost their leaves completely, retaining only spines to protect themselves from being harvested by animals for their water. Due to their unique nature and proclivity for growing in dry or elevated areas, these plants need a special type of substrate. The ideal soil makeup (a simple one, anyways) for succulent plants is 1 part potting mix, 1/2 part sand, 1/2 part perlite. Of course, individual plants will vary somewhat, but this is a general mix to use.
It is worth noting at this time that there are many plants below that you will see labeled as 'Ice Plant'. These are all members of the plant family Aizoaceae, and are succulent-type flowering plants related to Marigolds. They are commonly known as Ice Plants or Carpet Weeds, and though many look relatively similar, there is a great variety of colors, shapes and habits included in this grouping. As you peruse the list below, keep in mind any plants that you have in your garden or you might have seen in a friends' or neighbors' yard, and make sure to mark down any that you'd like to have in your own plant collection.
