Succulent plants store water in fleshy leaves, stems or roots. All cacti are succulents, as are such non-cactus desert dwellers as agave, aloe, elephant trees, and many euphorbias. Several other adaptations are essential for the water storing habit to be effective.

Xerophyte, any plant adapted to life in a dry or physiologically dry habitat (salt marsh, saline soil, or acid bog) by means of mechanisms to prevent water loss or to store available water. Succulents (plants that store water) such as cacti and agaves have thick, fleshy stems or leaves.

xerophytes

So, aquatic plants do not have roots. In desert there is scarcity of water. The soil is loose and dry. The roots go deep to hold the plant firmly to the ground and in search for water in the deeper layers of the soil.

Longest Total Root Length. A plant of the grass known as rye (Secale cereale ), which has an extensive fibrous root system, was shown to have a total root length of 623 kilometers (387 miles).

cacti

Succulent, any plant with thick fleshy tissues adapted to water storage. Some succulents (e.g., cacti) store water only in the stem and have no leaves or very small leaves, whereas others (e.g., agaves) store water mainly in the leaves.

“Cactus stems are usually very thick, because they store water inside. Cactus roots are usually very long, so they can find water over a large area.”

Succulent plants have a unique adaptation that enables them to tolerate limited watering better than most houseplants. Their thick, fleshy leaves and stems, as well as their enlarged roots, allow them to retain water so that they do not need watering as frequently as other plants. The leaves pucker or shrink.

The one time you can REALLY tell a succulent is fake is when you place it directly next to the same or similar variety. The two red-tipped succulents above are too similar. You can tell the succulent on the left has a bit more “light” and translucency in the leaves.

The red-tipping is also a bit more random and spread down the leaves. The succulent on the right is clearly fake for two reasons — the translucency AND that fake stem sticking out the bottom…which leads us to HINT #2: MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SOIL.

Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Newly planted succulents can scorch in direct sunlight, so you may need to gradually introduce them to full sun exposure or provide shade with a sheer curtain.

Succulents such as Sedum nussbaumerianum need bright sunlight all day in order to maintain their bright colors. When grown in the shade or in areas that don’t get bright light all day, such as indoors, they will slowly fade to green. The red tips are so much brighter and thicker on the side of the plant in full sun.

How can I make my succulents more colorful?

1. Start the plants outdoors where they’ll be in bright shade all day for 4-7 days.
2. Move to a partial sun location (about 4 hours sun in the morning and bright shade the rest of the day); give an additional 4-7 days to adapt.