The two are actually closely related. All cactuses are succulents, and therefore a subspecies. But not all succulents are cactuses.
They both master to store water in their leaves, stem and roots. Only Cactuses have so called areolas, tiny round bumps that often also take the form of spines.
They are perfectly adapted to a dry and hot climate and can thrive with little or no water.
Martial, who is the previous owner of our house, is a cactus expert. He has a large collection and when we first viewed the house there were many species in his collection spread all around the terrace. He left me a small pot with two cactuses inside (both have spines). I was not sure how these two would fare considering the fact that we do not live year round in France. I can tell you today and five years later that they thrive. They get only watered when it is raining, which is very seldom nowadays. And to be honest a real problem. And here and there they get some water when I am there. But as said they are growing happily.
We have seen two years of serious drought in France. While the sunshine is a blessing and the Mediterranean climate wonderful, the lack of rain will probably continue. And this will eventually also change the landscape. Hopefully not into a desert but maybe with even more cactus and succulents to be seen and thriving.
Max Rabe comes immediately to my mind
I have always liked cactuses and succulents. In my point of view if you could attribute character traits to plants I would always consider them to be individualistic and most certainly always ready for a fight. As child and until today I love the very German song My little green cactus by Max Rabe (here the English version)
Flowers in the garden, some twenty kinds
of roses, tulips, and narcissus,
is what the fine people afford themselves today.
But I don’t want to know.
My little green cactus sits outside on the balcony.
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
What do I need of red roses, what do I need of red poppies?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
And when a rascal says something impertinent,
then I fetch my cactus and it pricks, pricks, pricks!
My little green cactus sits outside on the balcony.
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
Today at four there was a knock at the door.
What, company this early in the day?
It was Herr Krause from next door.
He says: “Excuse me, if I ask:
You have a cactus outside on your balcony.
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It just fell down. What do you make of that?
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
It fell right on my face, believe it or not
now I know that your little green cactus pricks!
You’d be pleased to keep that cactus elsewhere!
Hollari, hollari, hollaro!
A cactus pricks. And no matter how large or small the spine acts as a protective shield against any attack from a feeding foe. But also succulents with their thick fleshy leaves always make a sturdy and robust impression on me.
My garden hosts a very old and huge Agave. It is approximately two and a half meter high and probably a meter in diameter. It has already grown many small children that surround it. These gigantic Agave plants are endemic in the South of France and grow like weed. They have a lifespan of approximately 40 years and when they bloom they exhaust so much that they die afterwards. Every year I observe with concern how my Agave is doing. And whether the early onsight of a large developing stem for the flower is pronouncing the end of this beautiful species. But so far I have not detected any flower and hope for some more time with this impressive plant.
If my Agave is to flower I will then have to discard the rest of the plant as it is dying from within. It is not the first time that I have watched the disposal of an Agave on one of my regular trips to the local recycling center. Once they die they start to smell severely. So cross your fingers that this is still a long ways away.
I also had a large opuntia. I usually describe them as the cactus that looks like a collection of ears. The cactus can get rather large and it is build of many roundish bodies that remind me of ears. They are fully covered in pricks. Scientifically the form is referred to as cactus pear. I recall a very unfortunate accident when I was trying to measure something and tumbled into this opuntia. Being aware of the imminent danger I was able to break my movement. Nevertheless I touched the plant with my back and caught several pricks in my back. It was a very painful experience and the removal quite a challenge. The opuntia was removed with a excavator as we landscaped the garden.
Opuntia are the natural host for the cochineal louse (Dactylopius coccus) which is an insect that feeds on this cactus species.
To be precise, the insect feeds on the sap of the opuntia cactus. The cactus can withstand a small population of lice but if heavily infested it will suffer damage.
The female cochineal louse produces a red dye that is called carmine which has for centuries been used to color textiles, food and cosmetics.
To produce the dye the louse is dried, cleaned and milled to extract the dye. The dye is scientifically called E120 and still used today. So watch out for cochineal.
I am a Campari lover and have early on wondered about the bright red color. This is how I came upon the fact that the bitter Italian liqueur with its original recipe contained cochineal until the late 19th century. Only then was it replaced by a synthetic dye.
There are several famous gardens in the South of France known for their collections of cacti and succulents.
Maybe I have aroused your interest? I can especially recommend the Jardin Botanique de Marseille https://www.marseille.fr/environnement/jardin-botanique
with a dedicated section on succulents. My second recommendation is the Jardin exotique de Monaco https://www.jardin-exotique.mc/
with a very vast collection of cactuses and succulents from all around the world also arranged beautifully in large greenhouses (the garden is closed in 2023 due to renovation but definitely worth a visit when reopened).
These gardens are great places to learn more about cactuses and succulents but also offer a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscapes of the South of France.
But it does not need to be a botanic garden to discover beauty. Take a walk around my neighborhood and you will find many impressive examples just along the roadside.
This may sound a bit far fetched but I identify the cactus also as a plant with a specific image in design. Associated with heat and a dry climate and due to a rather clean-cut and stark image these plants can be important style elements to create an exotic Boho style. The word derives from the French bohémian style (shortcut) and describes a colorful cozy interior/ exterior style with influences from foreign countries and a hippies flair. For me, this is the use of natural materials (rattan and bamboo), ethno designs, folkloristic patterns that remind me of Mexico (Incas and Aztecs) and of course cactuses.
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