HEALING POWER OF SUCCULENT PLANTS

Eligh Miller-Polivka

1 year ago

Succulent Plants are full of different healing properties that can assist you both inside and outside of your home and body. Beware, you may want to go purchase a host of succulent plants after learning their variety of wonderful uses.

In my gardening adventures, there are many different ways I could go when researching and deciding on plants that should take up space in my home or garden. To overlook succulents in this process would be like Batman without Robin!

I have a variety of succulent plants in my collection, and I intend to add many more. They consistently amaze me with their uses, hardiness, and their absolute beauty!

As I get more accustomed to seeing different species of plants, I do find myself marveling at the different random and interesting displays that the succulent plants put on because to me they seem quite otherworldly.

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WHAT IS A SUCCULENT PLANT?

Succulent plants are plants that have parts that are thickened and normally engorged with water. This is an adaptive habit that they have taken on to retain moisture and survive in places that are normally dry and arid. Probably the most well-known succulent plants are cacti.
Any part of a succulent plant can be engorged such as the roots, stems, and leaves. The word succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus” which means “sap” or “juice”, which eludes to the plant being full of moisture. Some succulent plants can contain up to 95% water!
Succulent plants can be found in a variety of habitats, not just deserts! They can also be found high up in alpine regions that, like the desert, do not experience very much rainfall. In fact, even moisture in the air and dew drops can be enough to keep these plants alive for years.

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WHAT ARE SOME PRACTICAL USES FOR SUCCULENT PLANTS?

Depending on what your definition of the word practical is, the answers to this question may be unlimited.
First and foremost, like other plants, succulents absorb toxic carbon dioxide out of the air and in turn produce life-giving oxygen. Along with this fact, succulents also release much moisture into the air around them and thus can moisturize the air in your home which decreases sore throats, dry lips, and dry skin. This can especially be useful if you live in an arid region with very dry air.
Succulent plants are useful in home gardens because they can last for years and sometimes decades with very little water and maintenance.
When planted around a home they can even provide fire protection! Succulent plants do not burn unless they are completely scorched at a very high temperature. Planting succulent plants around your house can provide a barrier to wildfires because unless the fire can jump, it likely will not burn through a wall of succulent plants.

One of the most common kinds of succulents is cacti! Believe it or not, cacti are one of the most important crops that grow in arid and semi-arid regions. Prickly pear cactus is one of the most beneficial and profitable crops that grow in Mexico.
Not only do they produce fruits that are succulent (smile), sugary, and delicious. But the leaves of the cactus plant called “Nopales” are a staple in Mexican cuisine.
All of the above-ground parts of the plant can be used for food not only for humans but also for livestock. In many parts of the world now, prickly pear cactus is used to provide food and water to livestock where other nutrients and fluids are not available.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF SUCCULENT PLANTS

One of the attributes of succulent plants is their ability to heal and seal damage to their skin very quickly. This is a trait they have adapted to be able to reduce water loss in case of damaging their skin.
What does that mean for us? Well, the juice from some succulents such as aloe vera can also help your skin heal extremely fast.
Applying aloe juice to sunburns and cuts can help heal them much faster. This is something that I have done for years and if you don’t believe it, buy one and try it. You will see how fast aloe juice heals a sunburn and turns it into a tan very quickly.

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Do you see this magical plant with bunches of cream-colored flowers? This is one of the many varieties of yucca! Yucca is not just a desert plant but has quite a large range over North America.
Among the many uses of yucca, one of them is its use as a skin cream. Yucca contains Vitamin C and Folic acid which can be very good for preventing blotchy and wrinkly skin. The production of collagen can also be increased by using the juice from yucca on your skin.
Due to their growing conditions, succulents typically have a high concentration of minerals and antioxidants which is why they are used in many skin creams and lotions.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GROWING SUCCULENT PLANTS

There have been many studies that show that growing plants indoors can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve quality of life. That tells me that we as humans were meant to take care of plants.
This is not the only way that succulents can be beneficial to your health. The vitamins and minerals provided in the edible varieties of succulents along with the fiber in them can improve your gut health and as we all know, much of your health comes from a healthy diet and gut bacteria.

HOW TO GROW SUCCULENT PLANTS INDOORS

Succulent plants are amazing indoor plants because they do not desire much water or attention.
In fact, the most common mistake people make with succulents is watering them too much. That’s right! They don’t do too well if you give them too much effort. You will want to replicate the conditions of the natural habitat of the succulent plant as much as possible.
The sunlight requirements for succulents can be minimal because many succulents grow extremely slowly. So, next to a window with the occasional watering will be enough to keep most succulent plants alive. You do not want the soil soaked all the time or they will rot and die.

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Eligh Miller-Polivka

Hello everyone, welcome to my neck of the woods! My name is Eligh, I was born in Portland, Oregon, and I love to forage! From when I was very young, my father took me out picking mushrooms, fishing, and camping. He loved to forage for mushrooms, and so naturally, I developed a keen eye for mushroom identification. After meeting my lovely wife on the Oregon coast, I started spending all of my free time out in the woods with plant, mushroom, and tree identification books. After some time I was able to identify every tree, plant, and mushroom that I came across. I learned their uses, both by native Americans and settlers alike. At this time, I also began fishing for salmon, trout, and different species of coastal rockfish. I always felt a strong sense of pride to be able to harvest a wide variety of wild edibles to suit my palate, and then harvest some natural bait and catch a fish, even how to make hooks and line using plants and trees that grow on the river bank.
I started cooking at a very young age. In middle school, my friends and their parents would ask me to cook food for them because I could make something out of nothing. I love to cook up new concoctions and see what everyone likes. When I became of working age, I started as a buss boy at a barbecue restaurant, and then moved on to work all positions of the restaurant industry. From head chef of a Jamaican restaurant in Tulsa, OK, to sous chef at a highly accredited bistro on the Oregon coast, all before I turned 21.
I Inherited land in southeast Oklahoma and now spend my days working a Fedex delivery route and working with my wife and 3 young boys on our rural homestead. We raise many different kinds of animals and some vegetable gardens. I hunt all manor of large and small game, and butcher all of my own meat. We harvest wild edibles of all kinds and enjoy to cook with them and eat them.
I am grateful that you stopped by to see how we are doing and hope to see you again very soon. We would love to be friends and hope you enjoy all of the recipes and information that I can manage to put out.
Thank you, and much love!
-Eligh

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