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Non-Cactus Succulents

Non-cactus succulents span many plant families. They share water-storage adaptations but not a single ancestry.

GroupExamplesNotes
Aloes and relativesAloe, gasteria, haworthiaBright light, drought tolerance, many small species
AgavesAgave, furcraeaStrong rosettes, sharp tips, landscape use
CrassulasJade plant, echeveria, sedum, kalanchoePopular containers and rock gardens
EuphorbiasCrown of thorns, pencil cactus, medusa formsMilky sap can irritate skin
Ice plantsLithops, delosperma, faucariaMineral soils, seasonal water timing
CaudiciformsAdenium, pachypodium, dioscoreaSculptural swollen bases

Match watering to active growth. Some succulents grow in summer, others in winter. Watering a dormant succulent heavily is a fast route to rot.