Succulent plants, like sempervivum and sedums, excel at storing water. This makes them very forgiving in the face of neglect. Native to dry climates, these plants have several tricks that help them thrive when other plants would wither away with thirst.

The thick fleshy leaves of succulents are built like water storage tanks. Besides this there are several other water saving features that can be seen on succulents.

The waxy covering on leaves creates a barrier to water loss through evaporation.

Hair on the leaves disturbs the air movement around the plant helping to preserve a layer of humid air near the leaf surface. The hair also creates some shade for the leaves. Every little bit helps when it comes to saving water.

Many succulent plants have cylinder shaped leaves. This reduces the surface area that is directly in the sun, helping reduce transpiration (evaporation from leaves).