How to identify succulents that look similar?

Introduction

Many succulents share look-alike shapes and colors. To tell them apart, combine three checks: growth habit (rosette, shrubby, columnar, trailing), leaf/stem anatomy (areoles, sap type, leaf attachment), and surface finish (powdery farina, zebra bands, hairs). Use the matchups below to separate common “twins”.

1) Flat rosettes: Echeveria vs Sempervivum vs Aeonium

Echeveria elegans forms flat, smooth rosettes often coated with powdery farina; leaves snap cleanly. Sempervivum tectorum (“hens & chicks”) has tougher leaves and makes obvious ground-hugging offsets; tips can be pointier. Aeonium arboreum grows rosettes on woody stems and can branch into bouquets—leaves are usually less powdery.

2) Zebra rosette or baby aloe? Haworthia vs Aloe juveniles

Haworthiopsis fasciata (“zebra haworthia”) shows white transverse bands and stiff, triangular leaves in an upright rosette; prefers bright-indirect light. Juvenile Aloe vera can look similar but leaves are thicker, often with marginal teeth, and the plant tolerates stronger light.

3) Is it a cactus or Euphorbia?

True cacti (e.g., Mammillaria spinosissima) have areoles (tiny pads) where spines/flowers emerge. Many columnar Euphorbia trigona look cactus-like but lack areoles and bleed milky latex when cut—handle with care.

4) Jade look-alikes: Crassula ovata vs Portulacaria afra

Crassula ovata (Jade Plant) has thicker, opposite leaves on more brittle, gray-brown stems. Portulacaria afra (Elephant Bush) has smaller, rounder leaves, reddish flexible stems, and a faster, finer branching habit.

5) Strings: Pearls vs Tears

Curio rowleyanus (String of Pearls) has spherical “pearls” with a fine translucent window line. Curio herreanus (String of Tears) shows elongated, teardrop beads with a sharper point and more pronounced window striping.