Jasmine

Succulent plants are always in style. With juicy leaves， stems or roots， succulents form a vast and diverse group of plants， offering easy-care choices for your home. Succulents like the dry humidity and warm conditions found in most homes， and while they like direct light， they can adapt to lower light. They all prefer a fast-draining potting medium that's not watered too often. Plus， they look stunning planted alone or as companions.

These top seven succulent plants for the home are easy to find and care for.

多肉植物總是很流行。它們有汁液充沛的葉、莖或根，種類豐富，品類各異，為你的家提供了易于打理的盆栽選擇。多肉植物喜歡干燥而溫暖的環(huán)境，而大部分家庭都是這樣的環(huán)境。并且，它們雖然喜歡陽光直曬，卻也能適應較低的光照。它們還都喜歡排水快的盆栽介質(zhì)，不需要頻繁地澆水。而且，它們不論是單獨種植還是跟別的植物搭配，看上去都非常漂亮。

以下七種室內(nèi)多肉植物很容易找到，打理起來也不費事。

Burro's Tail （Sedum Morganianum）

Burro's tail is shown to its best advantage planted in a hanging basket. Overlapping2）， gray-green or gray-blue leaves grow up to three feet long. A native of Mexico， it prefers medium to high light for best performance.

The leaves fall off with even a light touch， so keep burro's tail where it won't be disturbed. If you move a houseplant outside for summer， keep it in a shaded location. Even though burro's tail likes bright light， sudden exposure to direct sunlight may cause sunburn.

Crown of Thorns （Euphorbia Milii）

A popular import from Madagascar， crown of thorns can bloom year-round if given enough light. Long， spoon-shape leaves appear at the ends of spiky3） branches， along with clusters of tiny flowers. You might not notice the flowers because they're so small， but you will see the red， salmon4）， or yellow bracts5） that surround them.

Direct sun produces the best bloom， but crown of thorns adapts to medium light. Also， it contains a skin-irritating sap6）. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling.

Hens-and-Chicks

（Sempervivum Tectorum or Echeveria Elegans）

Two succulent plants share the common name of hens-and-chicks. They're closely related but look different. Both produce "chicks"—small， identical plants that are slightly offset7） from the mother （the hen）.

Echeveria elegans forms flat， flowerlike rosettes8） with rounded edges. Sempervivum tectorum also forms in rosettes， but each leaf tends to be flatter and more pointed. The flowering patterns are different. Echeveria grows bell-shape blooms every year. Individual sempervivum grows pink star-shape flowers on plants that die after flowering. Usually by this time the plant has produced so many offsets that the loss is not great. After all， the Latin translation of sempervivum means "ever living".

Medicine Plant （Aloe Vera）

The healing sap of this familiar medicinal plant has been used for centuries to treat wounds and sunburn. However， the sharp "teeth" along the leaf margins9） can cut an unsuspecting10） passerby， so place it where it can't be brushed accidentally.

Panda Plant （Kalanchoe Tomentosa）

There are dozens of kinds of Kalanchoe plants， but the panda plant is among the most common. A native of Madagascar， panda plant is grown strictly for its foliage11）. Thick green leaves are covered with soft silver hairs， giving the plant a fuzzy， blue-gray appearance. The edges of the leaves are tipped with brown or rust-color hairs.

Although it can be pruned12）， panda plant seldom needs grooming13） except to remove any wayward14） stems.

Pincushion Cactus15） （Mammillaria）

Pincushions form a group of about 200 species of ball-shape cacti that are among the most common cacti grown in the home. Most hail from16） Mexico， where they grow in full sun. Pincushion cacti can remain small and may take the form of single balls or clumps， often flowering indoors.

Be careful： the spines look delicate but have hooked ends that are difficult to pull out of skin.

Snake Plant

（Sansevieria Trifasciata）

This succulent can take a beating. Stories abound about forgotten， dead-looking snake plants coming back to life upon watering. Long， pointed leaves grow with patterned markings reminiscent of a snake. You can leave this plant in a pot for many years， allowing the rhizomes17） to multiply into a thick clump.

Snake plant tolerates neglect but thrives on attention. Prune out any damaged leaves so the overall plant looks better.

驢尾（翡翠景天）

驢尾種在吊籃里最顯其優(yōu)點。它那灰綠色和藍灰色的葉子層層疊疊，可以長到三英尺長。這種植物原產(chǎn)于墨西哥，在中等至高等強度的光照下長得最好。

驢尾的葉子即使只是輕輕一碰也會掉落，所以需要放在不會被碰到的地方。如果夏天要把室內(nèi)植物挪到室外，需要將其放置于陰涼處。雖然驢尾喜歡強光，但突然在陽光直射下暴曬可能會令其曬傷。

熊貓植物（褐斑伽藍）

伽藍菜屬植物種類繁多，熊貓植物是其中最常見的一種。熊貓植物原產(chǎn)于馬達加斯加，人們種這種植物完全是因為它的葉子好看。它那肥厚的綠色葉片覆滿了銀色的絨毛，使整株植物看起來呈毛茸茸的藍灰色，而且其葉片尖端的邊緣還長有棕色或鐵銹色的絨毛。

雖然熊貓植物可以修剪，但除了長得過于隨意的枝葉需要修剪外，這種植物很少需要打理。

針墊掌（雞冠仙人掌）

在最常見的室內(nèi)仙人掌中有一類球形仙人掌，而球形仙人掌中約有200種都屬于針墊掌。針墊掌大多來自墨西哥，在那里充足的日光下生長。它們可以一直保持小巧的形狀，成獨立的球狀或是抱團生長，通常在室內(nèi)開花。

要小心的是，針墊掌的刺看著細軟，但尾端帶鉤，很難從皮膚里拔出來。

蛇草（虎皮蘭）

這類多肉植物能耐得住“虐待”，關于被人遺忘而奄奄一息的蛇草澆水后又恢復生機的故事實在是太多了。它那長而尖的葉片上長有的圖案紋路讓人一下子就能想到蛇。你可以把這種植物擱花盆里養(yǎng)上好多年，它的根莖會長成厚厚的一大塊。

疏于照料的蛇草也可以存活，但稍加關照它就能枝繁葉茂。修剪壞掉了的枝葉可以讓植株整體更美觀。

1. succulent [?s?kj?l?nt] adj.【植】肉質(zhì)的。n. 肉質(zhì)植物，多汁植物

2. overlap [???v??l?p] vt. 重疊

荊棘之冠（鐵海棠）

這種從馬達加斯加引進的植物非常受歡迎，如果有充足的光照，它可以一年到頭都開花。長長的勺形葉子綴在滿是尖刺的枝干尾端，上面還長著一簇簇的小花。你可能都注意不到這些花，因為它們實在太小了，但是你會看到那些圍繞著小花的紅色、淺橙色或黃色的苞葉。

陽光直射可以讓荊棘之冠開出最美的花，不過它適合在中等強度的光照下生長。此外，它還含有刺激皮膚的汁液，所以觸摸過它后一定要好好洗手。

子母類植物（長生草或月影）

這兩種多肉植物有著通用的名字——子母類植物。它們有親緣關系但外觀不同，兩種植物都能長出“子”——從母株（雌性植物）上斜斜地長出的一模一樣的幼苗。

月影是長得像花一樣的扁平蓮座叢，葉邊呈圓形。長生草也長成蓮座叢的樣子，但每片葉子都更平也更尖。兩者開花的形式不同。月影每年都會長出鈴鐺狀的花。而每一株長生草母株都會長出星形的粉花，花開過后便會死去，但通常這時它也已經(jīng)“生”出許多新的長生草，所以這樣的損失也不算太大。畢竟，這種植物的名字在拉丁文中就意為“永生不死”。

藥用植物（蘆薈）

這種藥用植物很常見，人們用其汁液來治療傷口和曬傷已有好幾個世紀。但是，其葉片邊緣鋒利的“鋸齒”卻可以把毫無提防的路過者劃傷，所以要把它放置在不會被人無意碰到的地方。

3. spiky [?spa?ki] adj. 有（一個或多個）尖刺的

4. salmon [?s?m?n] adj. 淺橙色的

5. bract [br?kt] n. 【植】苞葉

6. sap [s?p] n. 【植】樹液

7. offset [??fset] adj. 偏離中心的 n. 【植】（平臥）側枝

8. rosette [r???zet] n. 蓮座叢

9. margin [?mɑ?d??n] n. 邊緣

10. unsuspecting

[??ns??spekt??] adj. 不知情的

11. foliage [?f??li?d?] n. （一株植物或樹的）全部葉子；一簇葉子

12. prune [pru?n] vt. 修剪（樹木）

13. groom [ɡru?m] vi. 照料，打理

14. wayward [?we?w?d] adj. 任性的

15. cactus [?k?kt?s] n. 仙人掌。其復數(shù)形式為cacti。

16. hail from： 來自

17. rhizome [?ra?z??m] n. 根莖