Succulents Can Add Succulence to your Life

My favorite plants on the planet are succulents. This is due in part to the fact that they are the only plants that I can consistently keep alive given my brown thumb! It’s probably also due in part to the fact that I’m originally from the Southwestern desert where succulents thrive. But it is also because I find these plants to be absolutely beautiful.

Defining Succulents and Succulence

There are two different words that are pronounced the same way and both apply to this article. The first is the actual topic of the article – the succulents. These are plants. Succulents have fleshy leaves and retain water so that they don’t need a lot of extra water added to them for proper care. The second word is succulence. This word is defined as juicy and delectable. In my opinion, succulents add succulence to the plant world and can even add succulence to your own life if you appreciate them for what they are.

More about Succulents

Succulents are water-retaining plants. They can thrive either indoors or outdoors, making them a very versatile plant for people who want to add plant life to their own homes. There are many different types of succulents. They all have fleshy leaves but other than that they can look very different from one another. Most succulents are green but there are white and even pink succulents available as well. Succulents may be very large or they may be quite small. In other words, there is a lot of variety in the world of succulents so you have many choices for finding succulents that you really like and adding them to your home.

Rose-Shaped Succulents

My very favorite succulents are the ones that look like fleshy green roses. These seem to be very common here in Northern California. They exist in planters all along the street where I live. Large ones flourish at the local botanical gardens. Small ones are sold outside of hardware stores throughout San Francisco. I am drawn to these succulents because they do remind me of roses and their pretty layers of “petals” are really attractive to me.

I have one of these succulents planted in a pot in my own kitchen. For me, it’s more than just a pretty plant; it’s a reminder of the succulence of life. Life is meant to be juicy and appetizing and beautiful. It’s not always easy to remember this in the course of our every day actions. However, there are little things that we can place around ourselves to remind us regularly to appreciate the beauty of life. For me, rose-shaped succulents are one of those things.

There are quite a few options even within this limited category of succulents. Some examples of how to add rose-shaped succulents to a home include:

o   Plant large rose-shaped succulents outside. You can put them in planters for an organized design. Alternatively, you can scatter them around a desert landscape yard to add a naturally wild beauty to the space.

o   Place a single rose-shaped succulent in a small pot indoors. A creative pot is best but of course any pot will do! This is a nice little plant to have in your kitchen, bathroom or by your bedside.

o   Plant several small rose-shaped succulents in a single pot. This makes a great decorative plant option inside or out. You can choose rose-shaped succulents that are all the same or create an array of ones that differ slightly in design.

o   Plant several small rose-shaped succulents in different matching small pots. These pots can then be spread out into a design of their own to really magnify the beauty of the plants themselves.

Tillandasia (Air Plants)

Although rose-shaped succulents are my personal favorite, there are lots of other types of succulents as well. One really popular choice is the tillandasia, also called a “tilly” or an “air plant”. This is a great option because tillies can be placed just about anywhere in the home and they require little care at all to flourish. Anyone who has trouble keeping plants alive at home will appreciate this option. These succulents don’t typically have the rich fleshy leaves that other succulents have. They do have fleshy leaves but they’re among the thinner or drier of all succulents and don’t seem as fleshy in comparison to the other succulents that are out there. This can be an appealing option for some homes. What’s really great is that a lot of tillandasia plants have curving, winding, almost undulating leaves. The effect is striking. Depending on your own personal style, this is another type of succulent that can add succulence to your home! 

Aloe and Other Thick-Leaved Succulents

In contrast to the thin leaves of the air plant, there are some succulents that have big, thick leaves. The aloe plant is a great example of such a type of succulent and one that many people are familiar with. This type of plant is a great option if you’re interested in adding succulents to the yard of your home although aloe plants can also be placed on balconies or even indoors. What’s really great about aloe specifically is that it’s a useful plant. Aloe is used as a lotion, particularly one that can treat sunburns. The juice of the aloe plant can be ingested and may even have digestive properties that are beneficial to people. Having a plant in the home that has additional functional purposes is something that many people favor. And it can certainly add that additional bit of succulence to your life!

What is your favorite type of succulent? How do you add succulence to your life?