succulents

I have decided that I like aloe veras best when they are young.

When they get mature they turn into sprawling beasts that I can't keep happy, nor ever find the proper space for. This one is still slumped over from its transplant. I'm just not very good with them when they grow so large.

There is a smaller jade plant here with a funny shape. Because in the past it didn't quite get watered often enough so there was some collapse, and then when it did get more water, the stems grew upwards again but just from the ends.

Now where all the stems change direction, at the lowest point of the curve there are tiny roots sprouting!

How does the plant know? How does it know this is the point where it should hit soil, and be able to root? There aren't any roots sprouting on other parts of the stems. Is it responding to gravity?

I do want to cut them off and root new plants with these parts, but C. is always loathe to see his plants get trimmed. It took a lot of convincing before he finally let me trim his giant schefflera- which has since filled out nicely with more inner growth...