38 
SHINER CACTUS NURSERY 
SUCCULENTS 
Succulent plants are to be found all over the world wherever 
plant life has had to adapt itself through the ages to irregular and 
scant water supply. Succulents occur in many plant families. Not all 
members of a family will be succulent. This is exemplified to us here 
in the United States by two euphorbias with which we are familiar: 
Euphorbia splendens or “Crown of Thorns” which is a succulent and 
our well known Christmas poinsettia which is not. 
All cacti are succulents. In primitive struggles for survival they 
and members of other plant families were forced to adopt thicker, 
more fleshy leaves and stems and an almost armor-like toughness of 
skin for reduction of evaporation. The varied and fascinating forms 
they have adopted, their delicate mimicry colorings and exquisite 
flowerings and the fact that so many of them remain small are a 
few of the charms which make them irresistible to plant lovers. 
Soil suitable to the majority of succulents is suggested as fol¬ 
lows: Mix and sift one part broken clay, one part coarse sand and 
four parts of thoroughly decomposed leaf mold. Soil should be nour¬ 
ishing, not too heavy, allowing for quick drainage away from the 
roots which should not be given so much water very little will remain 
soggy for any length of time. In winter water very little if at all. 
A period of rest is advised then and temperatures approaching 55 to 
45 are healthful. They need all the available winter sunshine but in 
summer most do better with protection from most direct rays. 
The succulent collector will find “Succulents” by A. J. van 
Laren, published at 5162 North Figueroa St., Los Angeles, Calif., 
with its 150 species illustrated in color, to be a book of beauty and 
real service. 
Haworthias are all of South African origin and are gems in any 
succulent collection for their unusual shapes, complicated construc¬ 
tion and intriguing color. Even in maturity they are small which 
makes them of especial value in miniature plantings. 
Haworthia mai'garetifera is one of the prettiest of the “white 
pearled” species. The dark green leaves bear pure white knobs or 
warts both above and below. In this species they are sprinkled while 
in H. fasciata they are in ornamental lines. H. attenuata has more 
delicately pointed leaves with “pearls” somewhat smaller but quite 
distinct. 
Haworthia c-ymbiformis is noted as one of the “windowed” plants 
because of its almost transparent tips which let 'sunlight penetrate 
to its growing center. The regular rose formation is most attractive. 
Gasterias are larger growing than Haworthias but are still among 
those plants most highly recommended for window sill gardening. 
They may be smooth or covered with rough tubercles like seed pearls. 
The leaves sometimes grew parallel, at other times in a star-shaped 
whirl. 
The genus Aloe is most interesting for its wide range of sizes, 
forms and colors. Mature forms of some are a few inches high whbe 
others grow to tree size. A most striking and popular species is A. 
variegata, the ‘‘partridge breast” A. aristata is very rare in collections 
as is also A. ausana. 
Most members of the Agave are decorative as house plants only 
in young specimens. After a few years of cultivation they become 
too large for indoor or even greenhouse collections. Agave nickelsae 
is one exception. It is of slow very compact growth, in rosette forma¬ 
tion, strikingly marked with pure white on dark green and is an out¬ 
standing species in any collection of rare plants. 
Many members of the genus Euphorbia have adopted succulent 
form in their struggle for survival in the deserts and on the dry 
mountain slopes of Africa. Several are native to the Dutch East 
Indies and a few to the Americas. 
Succulent Euphorbias lending variety to collections include E. 
lactea from the Dutch East Indies and its much rarer form E. lactea 
cristata with its rock-like monstrose form; E. canariensis from the 
Canary Islands; E. pseudocactus; E. obesa the miniature foot-ball 
and E. grandicornis with its deep irregular cut-work edges. 
Faucaria tigrina. the most popular Mesembryanthemum, with its 
pairs of toothed leaves suggestive of a tiger’s mouth grows easily and 
flowers freely. Flowers golden yellow. Soon clumps. 
The Genus Crassula has many and varied forms, some of them 
the most fascinating among miniature plants. C. perforata looks like 
a necklace or buttons on a string. C. falcata with its odd shaped thick 
"ray leaves has additional attraction because of its handsome, last¬ 
ing red flowers. 
Kleinia articulata the “Candle plant” and Kleinia stapeliaformis 
(both illustrated) are very different but interesting. 
The order Asclepiadaceae with its many genera including Stapel- 
ia, Huernia, Caralluma, Duvalia, Hoodia. Trichocaulon, Tavaresia etc. 
includes a number of most curious succulent forms. The greater num¬ 
ber are natives of South Africa but others are from India, Persia, 
Arabia, Abyssinia and Northern Australia. To those interested in 
their collection is recommended the handsomely prepared and illus¬ 
trated book “The Stapelieae” by Alain White and Boyd L. Sloane, 
price $3.00. 
