Because they have evolved to store water in their leaves and stems, cacti and other succulents tend to be plants that are native to deserts and low-moisture environments. But these are by no means plants that are grown only in these environments. Many succulents make excellent landscape plants for any environment. They come in a wide range of sizes and forms, from tiny plants best-suited for miniature garden arrangements to giants such as the saguaro that is too big for most landscape applications. Succulents tend to have leaves with a leathery texture, but not all plants with this feature can be considered succulents. Montauk daisy and bitterroot, for example, are not succulents. Here are 14 cacti and succulents for your landscape. Moss roses are a good choice for areas with poor soils, and they can stand up to a pounding sun all day long with only occasional watering. They are also popular in hanging baskets, with a prostrate growth habit allowing them to cascade down the side of a container. Purslane, an edible weed, is another type of portulaca. Autumn Joy prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. A popular plant for xeriscaping, it’s a good candidate for rock gardens. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 4 to 11. Note: This plant has recently been reassigned as Hylotelephium ‘Herbstfreude’ Autumn Joy. You may see this plant referred to and either a Sedum or a Hylotelphium. Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ spreads over time that can be somewhat invasive, so if you prefer plants that are very well behaved, you may wish to avoid this one. Sedum spurium grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. Yuccas are typically suitable to grow in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 10. Native to the Mohave desert, Joshua tree is an adaptable landscape plant for USDA hardiness zones 6 to 8. It is the largest of the yuccas and can grow as high as 40 feet over its 100-year lifespan. In-home landscapes, it usually grows no more than about 8 feet in height. Unlike other yuccas, Joshua tree forms a scaffolding of trunk-like stems from which the clusters of spiky leaves sprout. There are many species of agave suitable for landscape use, with some forming short artichoke-like leaf clusters, and others with long tendrils. Many have attractive blue-gray foliage. The appeal of the agaves is in their symmetrical leaves, not the flowers. Most species are suitable only for warm environments, but a few can be hardy up to USDA hardiness zone 5. Agave havardiana, Harvard century plant, for example, is suitable for zones 5 to 10 and grows to about 30 inches tall. Barrel cactus can fall into either the Echinocactus genus or the Ferocactus genus. They are notable for the thick round stem structure and very sharp thick spines. The various species range from short squat plants to towering 10-foot-tall cactuses. These plants do not tolerate cold temperatures, so outside warm climates (zones 8 to 10), they are grown as indoor container plants. Slow-growing and love-lived, saguaro cactus can grow to 60 feet in height over 200 years. After 35 years, it may produce creamy white flowers. In certain areas, this plant is protected by law. Somewhat unusual in residential landscapes, saguaro cactus is sometimes grown as a container plant.
