Glossary

Succulent words, decoded

The jargon you’ll meet on plant tags and forums, explained in plain language.

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AreoleSay it: AIR-ee-ohl: A small, cushion-like bump found only on cacti. Spines, flowers, and new stems grow from it. It’s how you can tell a cactus from other spiny succulents.

Callus: The dry, sealed skin that forms over a cut or broken surface. Letting cuttings callus before planting helps prevent rot.
CaudexSay it: KAW-deks: A swollen trunk or stem base that stores water. Ponytail palms and some other succulents have one, which is why they can go a long time without water.
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM): A water-saving way of photosynthesizing. Many succulents open their pores to take in air at night, when it’s cooler, instead of during the hot day. That way they lose less water.

Dormancy: A natural rest period when a plant barely grows, usually in winter or the hottest part of summer. Dormant succulents need much less water.

EpiphyteSay it: EP-ih-fite: A plant that grows on another plant, usually a tree, without harming it. Christmas cactus is one. Epiphytes need airy, fast-draining soil because their roots are used to clinging to bark.
EtiolationSay it: ee-tee-oh-LAY-shun: Stretched, pale growth caused by not enough light. The stem grows longer with bigger gaps between leaves as the plant reaches for light.

FarinaSay it: fuh-REE-nuh: A powdery, waxy coating on some succulent leaves that acts as sunscreen. It rubs off easily and doesn’t grow back on that leaf.

GlochidSay it: GLOCK-id: A tiny, barbed hair that grows in tufts on prickly pears and some other cacti. Glochids come off at a touch and stick in skin. Sticky tape lifts most of them out.

Hardiness zone: A map region based on the average coldest winter temperature. It tells you which plants can survive outdoors all year where you live.

Leggy: An informal word for a plant that has stretched out with long, bare stems. See etiolation.

MonocarpicSay it: mon-oh-KAR-pik: Flowers once and then dies. Hens and chicks and some aeoniums are monocarpic — but they usually leave plenty of offsets behind.

Node: The joint on a stem where a leaf grows. New roots and shoots grow from nodes, so a stem cutting needs at least one to grow into a new plant.

Offset: A baby plant that grows from the base or stem of its parent. Also called a pup or chick. It can be separated and potted on its own.

Perlite: Lightweight white granules made from heated volcanic glass. It’s mixed into soil to improve drainage and air flow.
Plantlet: A tiny, complete baby plant that grows on the parent, often along a leaf edge or at a leaf tip. Plantlets drop off and root on their own. Mother of thousands and chandelier plant make lots of them.
Propagation: Growing new plants from part of an existing plant, such as a leaf, a stem cutting, or an offset.
Pumice: A porous volcanic rock. It’s heavier than perlite, doesn’t float to the top when watered, and is a favorite grit for succulent mixes.

Rosette: A circular arrangement of leaves that spiral out from a central point, like the petals of a rose. Echeveria and hens and chicks grow as rosettes.

Soak and dry: The standard watering method for succulents. Water deeply until it drains out of the pot, then wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again.
Stress colors: Reds, pinks, oranges, and purples that appear in strong sun, cool temperatures, or drought. Mild stress coloring is healthy and often prized.
Succulent: Any plant that stores water in thick, fleshy leaves, stems, or roots. All cacti are succulents, but most succulents are not cacti.

TubercleSay it: TOO-ber-kul: A small, raised bump on a leaf or stem. The white dots on a pearl plant are tubercles. On many cacti, the spines grow from the tips of tubercles.

Window: A translucent patch on a leaf that lets light shine inside, letting the plant photosynthesize while staying partly buried or compact. Found on lithops, string of pearls, and some haworthia.