Succulents: Classifying plants as succulent or nonsucculent is problematic. Regional floras and popular books on succulents are all vague at defining what makes a plant a succulent. For example, Rowley (1978) concluded only that many plants are difficult to categorize as to succulence. Popular publications on succulents often ignore clearly succulent plants such as many orchids and bromeliads simply because most succulent collectors don't grow them (e.g., Eggli 2001). Plant physiologists and systematists tend to be similarly noncommittal. Some authors use the term semisucculent for those plants with less obvious succulent characteristics, but this still leaves the separation between semisucculent and nonsucculent undefined.

Click on an image for a large view Agave Americana Century plant has no stem. Its thick and massive gray-green leaves originate from a basal rosette. The leaves get up to 6 feet long and 10 inches wide, and have sharp spines on the margins and tips. The margin spines are recurved like fishhooks and the tip spines can be more than an inch long. The flower stalk is branched, 20-40' tall, and bears large (3-4 inches) yellow-green flowers. Popular cultivars are 'Marginata' with yellow margins on the leaves, 'Mediopicta' with a broad yellow band down the center of each leaf, and 'Striata' with stripes Agave Sisalana Sisal or sisal hemp is an agave Agave sisalana that yields a stiff fiber used in making rope. (The term may refer either to the plant or the fiber, depending on context.) It is not really a variety of hemp, but named so because hemp was for centuries a major source for fiber, so other fibers were sometimes named after it. Aloe Aloe, also written Aloë, is a genus containing about four hundred species of flowering succulent plants. The genus is native to Africa and is common in South Africa's Cape Province and the mountains of tropical Africa, and neighbouring areas such as Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula and the islands off Africa. Aptenia Cordifolia A handful of closely related species which in horticulture are thought to be variants of A. cordifolia. The most commonly grown plant, usually grown under the cultivar name of 'Red Apple', is considered by some botanists to actually be a hybrid between Apetnia cordifolia and the closely related Platythyra (Aptenia) haeckeliana. It certainly shows the vigor common among bi-generic hybrids, carpeting large areas easily in a season or two. Aptenia 'Red Apple' can be invasive and should not be planted close to wildlands (See California Exotic Pest Plant Council's web site for more information about the possible invasiveness of this plant). Carpobrotus Edulis Perennial growing to 0.1m by 1m . It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 2 out of 5 for usefulness. The plant prefers light (sandy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure. Euphorbia Lactea They are very popular in plants market now. There are 5 normal varieties which are ruby, yellow, orange variegated green and violet. Moreover there are 2 new varieties which are soft ruby and soft yellow. Lampranthus Roseus This plant occurs as a low bush which spreads as a mat of succulent leaves, grey-green in colour, 2-4cm long, with a pointed tip. Flowers come in varying shades of pink, about 4cm across, daisy-like with a yellow centre. Habitat – Able to grow in very thin soil over rocks, becoming common on the cliffs, and spreading from gardens. Planted on many banks and garden walls. Opuntia Opuntia is a genus in the cactus family Cactaceae. Both prickly pears and chollas are included in this genus of about 250 species distributed throughout most of the New World. The type species of the genus is the Indian fig opuntia Opuntia ficus-indica (most culinary uses of the term 'prickly pear' are referring to that plant). Pandanus Veitchii A large genus restricted to the Old World tropics. Mostly sea coast or marsh plants- note the prop roots (stilt-like aerial roots) and perfect spiral arrangement of their long, sword-shaped leaves. These plants, not surprisingly, are characteristic of Pacific Islands. The leaves and the roots of P. utilis are used like those of palms for rope, baskets, paper, nets, thatch and matting, and the fleshy fruits of some species are used as food. Pedilanthus Pedilanthus tithymaloides has the widest range of all of the species, ranging from South America to Tamaulipas, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It varies somewhat in habit. In Mexico, it is most often a small shrub, such as the three individuals shown in the foreground in this image from southern Oaxaca where it grows in the understory of dense tropical dry forest. 1 2