Are Succulents Man Made? What Are They
and Where Are They From?

What’s This Post About?

Amidst this trend of growing succulents, plant lovers can’t seem to get enough of them to beautify their spaces.

But do you often find yourself wondering and asking if succulents are man-made? Are these colorful, irresistible plants a product of nature, or are they artificially designed to add a tinge of nature’s essence to your décor?

What makes one even more curious about their origin is how they can survive without the natural environment that most plants need to survive. Coming in a vast array of shapes, sizes, and enticing colors, the true origin of succulents is even more suspicious.

Succulents are naturally grown plants all over the world, originating from different parts of the globe. Succulents have thick, fleshy, engorged stems and leaves to retain maximum water in high temperatures and arid soil conditions.

What Are Succulents?

Succulents are plants that have special water-storage tissues, in the stems, roots, and leaves. The thick, fleshy leaves contain sap, allowing the plants to retain as much moisture as possible.

Unlike the usual types of plants, succulents are drought-resistant plants and are adapted to survive long periods with no water. When they do not have access to sufficient water, these resilient plants use the water stored in them.

Where Do Succulents Exactly Come From?

Succulents come from a diverse range of habitats in almost every part of the world. In environments that we might consider to be detrimental to plant health, the adaptable features of succulents allow them to grow even in such harsh conditions.

Succulents originate from the arid and semi-arid deserts spreading across Africa to North and South America. These plants have been growing in these regions for ages, primarily due to their ability to survive long dry periods. With time, their water storage and retention capacities have evolved to utilize water much more efficiently.

Native to a diversity of habitats, succulents are also found in mountainous regions and rainforests. Some sea coasts and dry lakes also have naturally grown succulents, despite the soil’s intense levels of dissolved minerals.

What Makes Succulents Similar to Artificial Plants?

Looking at the bright and vibrant succulents often intrigues us, raising the question of whether they are natural. These ornamental plants are so widely planted both indoors and outdoors, giving fresh vibes all around, that one often wonders of the efforts needed to take care of the succulents.

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of these low-maintenance plants, quite close to the artificial ones, due to which we seem to find them in abundance everywhere.

Low Maintenance Plants

Unlike other plants, you do not have to worry about checking on them daily and watering them every day. While planting them, just test the soil and then let them grow on their own. You can simply water the succulents once a week, and they don’t even require regular pruning. However, this may vary depending on the species.

If you want to learn more about watering succulents, I recommend you read our post on watering succulents.

Difficult to Overgrow

When planting greenery indoors, a major concern is pruning and trimming the plants regularly. Well, with succulents, you do not have to worry about your exquisite houseplants turning into wild bushes or vining around every few days.

Frequently trimming the leaves and stems to maintain the attractiveness of the plants can become quite frustrating. Most succulents do not tend to overgrow, so the crassula and echeverias can sit peacefully in your living rooms or courtyards.

Pest Resistant Species

Generally, succulents have a lower tendency to attract pests, so you wouldn’t have to fear that they might be prone to an attack. You do not have to stress about a plausible attack on your vibrant plants.

When you water the plantations quite frequently, it raises the possibility of a pest attack. You don’t have to be too concerned about it as this is not the case with succulents. To further mitigate any chances, the thick, waxy leaves of succulents make it almost impossible for pests to penetrate through the plants.

However, pests can attack your succulents. Keeping a check from time to time is vital to make sure your plant doesn’t become a target of any external species like fungus or mealybugs.

Diversity in Shapes, Sizes, and Colors

You can find succulents in a range of sizes. A miniature succulent arrangement can sit easily on your desk in a small planter.

Similarly, the slightly bigger agave plants can add to a minimalist centerpiece, or you can even give a foliage touch to your space with the stillness of these dessert beauties on the wall.

Another very peculiar characteristic of succulents - you can find them in almost every color of the spectrum! Not just the innumerable shades of green, these beauties can be found in tones of red, orange, pink, purple, and even blue.

How Can You Differentiate Your Succulents from Other Plants?

If you look around, you’ll note that succulents have visibly distinct features from most normal plants. Not only do its various colors and shapes stand out, perhaps due to which you might confuse them as artificial, but they have distinguishable characteristics.

Note that the leaves of succulents are a little thicker - since it’s a storehouse for water - with a rubbery and waxy texture. More so, succulents have shallow roots, and unlike other plants, they bloom better in soil that is not too wet.

Keep Reading

Now that you know that these fleshy exotic plants are not man-made, which means that they need some care to bloom. If you are also a succulent lover and are keen to add them to your home decor, explore our other blogs to learn about some amazing tips for growing healthy succulents.

I recommend you head over to our special guide about various types of succulents.

Posted in: Indoor Succulents Low-Maintenance Plants Beginner Succulents