Prickly Petals is a working horticulturist's reference for Crassulaceae, Asphodelaceae, Agavoideae, and the rest of the plants that hold their water in their leaves. Most of what's published here started as a notebook entry from a propagation bench, a botanic-garden record, or a question a reader asked. Every guide is written to answer that question well enough that you don't need to read three more.
The author
Dr. Elena Martín, M.Sc., CACH
I hold an M.Sc. in Plant Biology from the Universidad de Granada and was curator of the succulent collection at the Jardín Botánico de Córdoba from 2014 to 2020. My private collection, started in 2013, now spans roughly 400 species across Crassulaceae, Agavoideae, and Aizoaceae, with a working focus on high-altitude Mexican Echeveria and Iberian Sempervivum. I am a member of the British Cactus & Succulent Society and the International Crassulaceae Network.
I am Certified Advanced Cactus & Succulent Horticulturist (CACH), the qualification awarded by the International Cactus and Succulent Network for demonstrated competence in the propagation, cultivation, and identification of xerophyte plants.
What this site is for
Most online succulent content is written by people who do not grow the plants. The result is a strange mixture of correct-sounding advice that does not survive a season of contact with a real collection. The aim of Prickly Petals is to be a place where the advice has been tried.
Each entry on this site is one of two things:
- A pillar guide — a long reference covering an entire genus, written to be read once and consulted often.
- A species or cultivar guide — a focused profile of a single plant, attached to its parent pillar.
The structure mirrors how I think about the collection: the genus tells you what kind of plant you have; the species tells you what to do with it.
Editorial principles
- Use Latin binomials. Common names are useful in the supermarket and almost nowhere else. Plants are referred to by binomial first, common name in parentheses on first mention.
- Cite the mechanism. "Water sparingly" is meaningless. "Water when the top 3 cm of substrate reads below 15% on a moisture probe" is something you can do.
- Acknowledge taxonomic change. The 2013 split of Haworthia into Haworthia, Haworthiopsis and Tulista; the migration of succulent Senecios into Curio; the Sedum / Hylotelephium segregate. Where a plant has changed name in the last decade, both names appear on first mention.
- Don't sell. Prickly Petals does not run affiliate links to plant retailers. If a particular nursery is mentioned by name, it is because their work is genuinely good.
- Update when wrong. If you find an error or a missed update, write in via the contact page.
Editorial review
Articles are reviewed annually for taxonomic accuracy and to incorporate new horticultural literature. The most recent full review was completed before the launch of the rebuilt site in April 2026. Each pillar carries the date of its last substantive revision in its frontmatter.
Reference works
The following sources are consulted regularly and cited where used:
- Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- The Genus Sempervivum — H. 't Hart, B. Bleij, B. Zonneveld
- Hardy Succulents: Tough Plants for Every Climate — G. Nichols
- Cacti and Succulents — T. Sajeva, M. Costanzo
- The Crassulaceae — H. 't Hart, U. Eggli (eds.)
Get in touch
I read everything that comes through the contact form. Questions about a particular plant, errata, and review-copy enquiries are all welcome.