The great 2021 Dudleya torture test
This post is the result of a six-month experiment to see how various Dudleya species and hybrids handle our hot and dry summer. Consider it an intermediary snapshot. Another post will follow in mid-winter, hopefully to show the same plants at their best.
Since this post is primarily meant as a reference, it contains photos of dudleyas that look unattractive or even dead. Some may actually be dead, although I'm hoping they're just dormant, which would be the normal behavior for many species. In any case, you most likely won't be wowed by the plants in these photos, but they're a realistic reflection of what to expect when growing this iconic genus of succulents.
With that out of the way, here's a brief introduction to dudleyas. While there are other succulents native to California, including agaves, yuccas, and opuntias, arguably none are as intriguing, mysterious, and poorly understood as dudleyas. Found from southwestern Oregon down the entire length of the U.S. state of California and most of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, dudleyas are perfectly adapted to their habitats, for the most part the Mediterranean-type climate of the California Floristic Province. This means that they're in active growth from late fall through early spring when we receive virtually all of our precipitation, and then they spend the hottest months of the year in a state of stasis or even outright dormancy with much of their above-ground parts shriveling up.
As a result of this survival strategy, many dudleya species don't look like much in the summer. For this reason, and because care must be taken not to overwater them when they're dormant, they don't necessarily make great garden plants. Since many of us don't exactly know what dudleyas need, we often kill them with misplaced kindness. At the end of this post, I'll give some tips on watering and sun exposure.
Dudleya farinosa 'Noyo River' (red; almost fully dormant); unidentified Dudleya hybrid (yellow and green), both doing OK |
Unidentified Dudleya hybrid (green and red), both doing OK |
July 28, 2021 Clockwise, starting at the bottom: Dudleya brittonii, Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila, Dudleya traskiae, Dudleya cymosa (orange-flowering form). All are alive. |
April 26, 2021 Clockwise, starting at the bottom: Dudleya brittonii, Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila, Dudleya traskiae, Dudleya cymosa (orange-flowering form) |
April 26, 2021 Clockwise, starting at the bottom: Dudleya cymosa (orange-flowering form), Dudleya brittonii, Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila, Dudleya traskiae |
⮧ In two 22-inch Corten steel bowls by Veradek I've created miniature landscapes featuring rocks and dudleyas. Each planter sits on a 7-inch turntable so it can be rotated to vary the sun exposure. The left side of planter #1 (below) gets some overhead sun protection from a 'Black Lace' elderberry; the right side receives full sun from noon on. Remarkably, all dudleyas are alive.
Corten bowl #1, July 28, 2021 |
Farinose beauties in pots doing very well. Clockwise starting at the bottom: Dudleya pachyphytum hybrid, Dudleya attenuata hybrid, Dudleya candida, Dudleya pachyphytum, Dudleya gnoma |
⮧ Much to my surprise, I just found these two perfect specimens—Dudleya traskiae (left) and Dudleya palmeri (right)—at Green Acres Nursery in Sacramento. They were grown by Suncrest Nurseries, a wholesale grower on the Central Coast, and look absolutely perfect. I'm not sure where they'll go eventually; for now, I'm simply enjoying their flowers.
Dudleya traskiae (left), Dudleya palmeri (right) |
Dudleya anomala hybrid 'Edna's Echidna'
Distribution: Coronado Islands and Todos Santos Islands, Baja California
Flower color: white-pink
'Edna's Echidna' is a hybrid of Dudleya anomala by dudleya wizard Stephen McCabe. It's growing in Corten bowl #1 and receives a good amount of afternoon soon. Right now, it's semi-dormant but still very much alive.
Dudleya anomala hybrid 'Edna's Echidna' |
Dudleya anomala × attenuata
Flower color: white
I bought this hybrid at the Ruth Bancroft Garden; according to the label, it was grown by Tiedemann Nursery in Soquel, CA. It's in the ground in the larger succulent mound in the front yard where it receives about three hours of afternoon sun. It looks quite good.
Dudleya anomala × attenuata |
Dudleya anthonyi
Flower color: red
Dudleya arizonica
Flower color: red
Dudleya attenuata
Distribution: Southern California and Baja California
Flower color: white
Plant #1 below is straight Dudleya attenuata. Growing in Corten bowl #2 in full sun (although covered with window screen), it's alive and kicking.
Dudleya attenuata |
Plant #2 is a Dudleya attenuata hybrid. I don't know what the 2nd parent is, but based on the powdery leaves, it might be Dudleya brittonii. It's still in its nursery pot and looking great with a few hours of afternoon sun.
Dudleya attenuata hybrid |
Dudleya brittonii
Distribution: coastal Baja California and coastal islands
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya brittonii is the most widely available dudleya species because it is the easiest to grow in garden situations and one of the most beautiful.
Plant #1 is in the bed next to the front door in a mostly shady spot; it gets maybe an hour of direct sun. I hand-water it very lightly once a week. I've had it for four years and it still looks good.
Dudleya caespitosa
Distribution: coastal Central and Southern California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya caespitosa is a coastal species that doesn't experience the kind of summer heat we routinely have here in the Sacramento Valley. Still, I've managed to keep plant #1 (below) alive for several years. It receives virtually no direct sun.
Dudleya caespitosa |
Below is a cluster of Dudleya caespitosa a friend of mine gave me earlier this year. She's had it growing in this shallow dish for "many years." It looks like a miniature forest! I'm keeping it on the table on the front porch where it's in shade most of the day.
Dudleya caespitosa |
Dudleya caespitosa 'Frank Reinelt'
Flower color: pale yellow
'Frank Reinelt' is a special selection of Dudleya caespitosa. I have two, one in each Corten planter, and they're both doing OK, especially considering how much sun they're getting.
Dudleya caespitosa 'Lucy in the Sky'
'Lucy in the Sky' is a Stephen McCabe selection of Dudleya caespitosa. It's named after the town of Lucia on the Central Coast where it was found. My specimen is in the larger succulent mound in the front yard and is doing fine.
Dudleya caespitosa 'Lucy in the Sky' |
Dudleya candida
Distribution: Coronado Islands, Baja California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya candida is related to Dudleya brittonii but much rarer in cultivation. I have high hopes for it since it's a beautiful plant (and offsets, which D. brittonii typical doesn't). I've only had my specimen for a few months, but so far it's handled the heat well. Right now, it's just sitting in a tray in the backyard where it gets a couple of hours of afternoon sun.
Dudleya candida |
Dudleya cultrata
Distribution: San QuintĆn Island and San MartĆn Island, Baja California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya cultrata |
Dudleya cymosa
Distribution: Northern to Southern California
Flower color: yellow, orange, red
Dudleya cymosa (orange-flowering form) |
Dudleya cymosa |
Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila
Distribution: Santa Lucia Mountains (Monterey County) to Transverse Range (Southern California)
Flower color: orange-red
Dudleya cymosa ssp. pumila 'Figueroa Mountain' |
Dudleya farinosa
Distribution: coastal southwestern Oregon and Northern California
Flower color: yellow or red
Dudleya farinosa |
Dudleya farinosa 'Noyo River' |
Dudleya gnoma
Distribution: Santa Rosa Island (Channel Islands), Southern California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya gnoma |
Dudleya gnoma |
Dudleya greenei
Distribution: San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands (Channel Islands), Southern California
Flower color: creamy yellow
Dudleya greenei |
Dudleya ingens
Distribution: northern Baja California
Flower color: pale yellow with pink
Dudleya ingens |
Dudleya lanceolata
Distribution: mountains of Southern California and Baja California
Flower color: yellow or orange
Dudleya lanceolata |
Dudleya pachyphytum
Distribution: Cedros Island, Baja California
Flower color: greenish white
Dudleya pachyphytum |
Dudleya pachyphytum |
Dudleya pachyphytum hybrid (left), Dudleya pachyphytum (right) |
Dudleya pachyphytum hybrid |
Dudleya pachyphytum hybrid |
Dudleya palmeri
Distribution: San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, Central California
Flower color: orange or red
Dudleya palmeri |
Dudleya palmeri |
Dudleya palmeri |
Dudleya pulverulenta
Distribution: Central and Southern California (central coast, south coast ranges, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, desert mountains)
Flower color: red
Dudleya pulverulenta |
Dudleya traskiae
Distribution: Santa Barbara Island (Channel Islands), Southern California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya traskiae (Annie's Annuals) |
Dudleya traskiae (UC Davis Arboretum) |
Dudleya traskiae (UC Davis Arboretum) |
Dudleya traskiae (Green Acres, grown by Suncrest Nurseries) |
Dudleya traskiae |
Dudleya traskiae |
Dudleya traskiae |
Dudleya verityi
Distribution: Santa Monica Mountains, Southern California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya verityi (multiple seedlings) |
Dudleya virens subsp. hassei
Distribution: Santa Catalina Island, Southern California
Flower color: yellow
Dudleya virens ssp. hassei
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Dudleya virens ssp. hassei |
Dudleya viscida
Flower color: pink
Dudleya viscida |
Dudleya hybrids
Based on what I've read and my own (still limited) experience in my garden, here are some watering guidelines for hot inland areas:
- No dudleya species should be left unwatered for months at a time. The risk of death from dehydration is higher than the risk of rot from pathogens in warm moist soil.
- All dudleyas in pots, especially in small pots or nursery containers, should be watered—sparingly but regularly. Mine are in fast-draining succulent mix, and I water them every 10 days.
- For dudleyas in the ground, the watering situation is a bit more complex. It appears that coastal and island species native to Central California and points south tolerate supplemental summer water better than species from Northern California. Every 10 days works for me. My soil is 50% inorganic material and drains quickly.
- The northernmost species, i.e. Dudleya farinosa and the northern subspecies of Dudleya cymosa, are the most difficult for me to keep alive. My best advice is not to bother with them no matter how alluring they are. The same applies to Dudleya pulverulenta, a Southern California species that I find very challenging; the similar-looking Dudleya brittonii is a far better garden plant.
Quite an undertaking with all these Dudleyas! Most of them don't like the desert here at all. However, we do have Dudleya collomiae saxosa that is rare and is found only in Arizona in the central, southern and northwest parts of the state.
ReplyDeleteNancy, I've been looking for Dudleya collomiae var. saxosa but haven't been able to find it. I'd love to give it a try although I suspect it may not thrive in our climate since it comes with higher elevations.
DeleteIt is available as seed from https://www.ecrater.com/p/31080346/dudleya-collomiae-unusual-succulent-seeds?gps=1 as well as some other Dudleya species as seed. Just an FYI. I don't know if you do seed! That can be a challenge in itself!
DeleteI had no idea you'd taken such a huge leap into dudleyas! I do love these plants when they look good, but since 1) I get impatient with plants that don't look good in the summer when I'm out in the garden the most, and 2) we get a little too much rain (snow/ice) here in the cold months... I am not destined for my own dudleya binge.
ReplyDeleteLet's just say I fell in with the dudleya crowd.
DeleteMany of the species I listed won't be long-term residents, I fear. But this experiment will give me a better idea of what's viable--and possibly reveal some surprises.
Interesting experiment. Most of them do look pretty rough when they are dormant. However, their ability to go dormant during the heat explains a lot about why I struggle to grow them in my cold climate in pots. Outside in the summer but under lights in the winter so they either rot or disappear. Look forward to the next update.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you had a Dudleya collection this large! I look forward to your findings. I should go check the 2 plants I have in my street side bed - they looked okay the last time I checked the bed but that was nearly a month ago and we've only gotten hotter and drier.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a large collection. Not suitable for my PNW garden, obviously, but I do appreciate your experimental undertaking. It would be interesting to see what comes out of hibernation and performs well for you.
ReplyDeleteDudleya pachyphytum hybrid is stunning with its frosty goodness!
Here in their native OC, wild D. purverulenta seem to be the ultimate bulletproof plant, growing even on south facing roadcuts! I think fog and marine layer is what keeps them alive.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get all these Dudleyas?? (I'm in Sac too!)
ReplyDeleteLots of different places. Annie's Annuals usually has a good selection. Cactus & succulent society shows are another great source. Nurseries in Southern California sometimes have great finds as well.
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