Introduction

It is tricky to define a succulent in a generic way. I know them when I see them, but  I can’t  think of a good all-purpose definition.

The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society has an online article by Mike Dimmitt.

The basic definition is simple. In general, the word “succulent” means juicy. A succulent plant is one that stores water in its tissues; hence it’s juicy…

The Details

His definition is as good as any I’ve found. But, then he goes on to point out the details. “How juicy is juicy”? Can the water be stored anywhere: roots, stem, leaves”?

He points out that succulents are more than juicy–they use the stored water. They don’t just store it, but they actually use it in times of drought.

For me, bulbs and tubers are succulents even though their storage organs are mostly for storing food. So, succulents store food, but most of them use their storage organs to store lots of water too.

Bulbs remind me of another term, geophyte. I think geophytes are plants that exist part of the year underground and which store food and water in their storage organs. So, all of this means (to me) that bulbs are succulents as well as geophytes.

Additional Reading: The ABCs of Succulents