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Transcript of Cacti & Succulents in the Garden - Trilogy Garden · PDF fileCacti & Succulents in the Garden...
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
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
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
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