The terms "cactus" and "succulent" are not interchangeable.
The expert of the online publication BelNovosti, agronomist, and landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh explained how these plants differ.
First, a brief overview of the characteristics inherent in each of these plants.
So, succulents are plants that store water in their stems, roots and leaves. These include, among others, aloe, sedum, haworthia and... cacti!
Yes, yes, all cacti, due to the fact that they can accumulate water, can be called succulents, but not all succulents are called cacti.
In order for a succulent to be classified as a cactus, it must have not spines, as many people think, but areoles - small, round "mounds" of flesh where the spines grow.
By the way, the presence of areoles is the main, but not the only sign that you have a cactus in front of you.
In order for a plant to be classified as a cactus with 100% accuracy, it must be a dicot, have an inferior ovary of the fruit, and the fruit itself must be a berry.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
