The fascination with the succulents has been growing in recent years, we see them not only in the garden, but also in home décor and even in the wedding branches. They are easy to take care of, have low maintenance and a useful life that can reach decades, for all this we will leave here some curiosities that you may not know!
Symbology
It is known that the succulents symbolize lasting and timeless love, in Asian culture they represent prosperity, some species like jade plants are often called the money plant.
Jade plants are also a traditional commercial gift that symbolizes vows of success.
In the Japanese practice of Fen Shui water is a symbol of wealth, the succulents are considered a symbol of good luck since they retain water in their petals.
Natural protection
You may have noticed that some succulents have a porous coating, almost like a kind of wax on the leaves.
This coating is called epicuticular wax. It functions as a nature sunscreen that protects the succulents from the sun’s severe rays and can help prevent leaves from getting burned if they receive too much light.
Care should be taken when handling these succulents as it is easily possible to remove the coating and the epicuticular wax will not grow again quickly.
Resistance to adverse climates
Although the succulents are known to be able to survive the warm desert climates and long droughts there are some species that can survive the winter weather.
Winter-resistant succulents can survive cold, rain and snow, as long as the soil has adequate drainage. The two types of succulents best known for their resistance are Sempervivum and Sedum, there are certain types of agaves and cacti that can also survive, such as agave Parryi and Victoriae reginae.
Air purification
Stomata are small mouth-shaped structures on the surface of the leaves and stems of the succulents that allow the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air and the loss of water and oxygen to the environment.
This process unlike the other plants takes place at night, i.e. they are closed during the day and open at night. As a result are ideal plants to have indoors, in the office or room thus helping the purification of the air.
Diversity
One of the greatest characteristics of succulents is the huge variety that exists, one can find succulents of all shapes and colors. From tiny little plants to giant trees, the variety of sizes is impressive!
The largest succulent in the world is the Adansonia digitata of Africa. The trunk, or main trunk can reach up to 28 meters perimeter and 25 meters high! It is found in southern Africa in areas with hot and dry weather.
On the other hand, if we look for the smallest specimens we have Blossfeldia liliputana, which is about 1.5 cm in diameter as an adult and is native to South America, specifically Bolivia and Argentina.
