Succulents Rock!

In Southern California, many people have started to replace their lawns with succulents. This is a very good idea in a semi-desert climate where most of the water used is coming from far away.

Some of it is coming all the way from Colorado, some from   Northern California. No matter what, it travels many thousands of miles, and wasting it on a lawn that is not even used is a very bad idea.

Succulents don't need much water and they grow very well here. They also sequester a lot of carbon - a very important trait to have. And I already have shown you some of the pretty flowers they produce.

That said, they don't flower very often and many plants will die right after they flowered. But no worries, before they do that, they have produced lots of baby plants. 

That is one reason that my friend had an abundance of succulent plants in his yard. When he moved to a different state, we held a big plant sale at my house.

In this picture, you see a flower on the left side of the picture. It is from an aloe plant. But you can also see that the natural colors of the succulents have lots of varieties and it is possible to create a beautiful landscaped look with them if that is what your are after.

This particular plant is very popular here. The colors are striking and it can grow as tall as a house. However, I don't like it very much and you won't see it in my yard. The plant has a white milky substance inside that will irritate the skin and if it gets into the eyes, people can lose their sight. 

This only occurs when a branch is broken off. That said, they break off easily and having little kids around increases the risk. I am not willing to take that chance.

This is an entry to the #naturefirst contest by @Naveed Ahmed. 

You can join here: https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/nature-giveaway-everyone-wins~MzY0MDMy

#grovid20

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