These succulents make dramatic architectural accents, especially in water-wise gardens or in containers. Their colors, shapes and sizes vary greatly. Some grow as solitary rosettes, and others generate many offsets (“pups”). Some have dangerously, pointy spines, but there are a few soft, friendly cultivars, too. Mature plants shoot very tall, asparagus-like spikes into the sky, which burst with white or yellow flowers. They all need well-draining soil, and infrequent watering.