Glossary of Succulent Terms

Scale is the common name for a large, diverse group of insects that feed by sucking on the juices of plants like succulents. Scale are slow moving, with no visible legs or antenna. They form multiple, oval bumps on stems or leaves. Many excrete honeydew.

In a grafted plant, the top portion that is grafted onto the rootstock of another plant is called the scion.

Sloughing is the natural process whereby plants or animals shed dried, dead material, like leaves or skin. It is normal for some succulents to slough off old, dried leaves.

Soil amendments are substances added to soil to improve its qualities like drainage, water retention or nutrition. For succulents, soil amendments like pumice, coco coir and crushed granite are added to improve drainage.

Cactus spines are modified leaves that are typically both stiff and sharp. Getting stuck by these spines is painful. Other succulents like Agave and Euphorbia sometimes have sharp, pain-inducing spines, too.

Stolons are modified, horizontal stems that enable a plant to spread and set roots away from the primary plant. Sempervivum offsets are connected to the mother plant by stolons.

A succulent is any plant that stores moisture in its leaves, stems or roots for the plant’s later use. This is a successful adaptation to dry climates where precipitation is scarce. Succulents come in all shapes, sizes and colors.