It's day 3 of our visit to San Diego. The succy trend that started on
day 1 and continued on
day 2 is showing no signs of letting up. Slowly but surely, it's wearing me down. It won't be long before I throw up my hands in defeat and become a convert. Maybe all this succyness isn't so bad after all!
The campus of
San Diego State University is only a tenth of the size of
UC San Diego, which we visited yesterday, but it has a much higher succulent ratio. The first sighting we made was in front of this newly refurbished residence hall:
Usually I'm not a fan of Agave americana, but mass-planted here in a straight line looks sharp, especially in combination with maiden grass (Miscanthus). I hope the landscapers will keep the profusion of agave pups under control. Otherwise this will be tangled mess before long.
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| Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' in front of a residence hall |
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| Golden barrels (Echinocereus grusonii) lined up like soldiers at a parade |
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| Agave attentuata against New Zealand flax |
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| Aloe brevifolia |
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| Aeonium 'Sunburst' and Kalanchoe fedschenkoi |
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| Yellow kangaroo paws and yellow bicycles, with Agave attenuata hiding in the middle |
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| Massive planter featuring Pachypodium lamerei |
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| Furcraea foetida 'Variegata' and granite chair |
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| Yellow bird of paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)—pretty amazing flowers |
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| Yet another Furcraea foetida 'Variegata' |
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| Succulent roundabout |
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| San Diego State University has some nice examples of Mission Revival architecture |
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| Brugmansia and flowering jacaranda |
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| More Aloe brevifolia |
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| It's getting repetitive, but here are more yellow kangaroo paws and Furcraea foetida 'Variegata' |
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| Ponytails palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) |
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| Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) |
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| Red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) |
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| Hepner Hall, the most photographed building on the San Diego State University campus |
1200-acre
Balboa Park is another great place to experience succyness in San Diego—and palm tree madness, often in combination.
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| Bismarckia nobilis and Aloidendron 'Hercules' |
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| Casa de Balboa |
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| Casa de Balboa |
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| Botanical Building |
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| Cycads inside the Botanical Building |
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| Leucadendron 'Jester' and Chamaerops humilis |
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| Colonnade |
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| Agave guiengola 'Creme Brulee' in a parking lot |
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| California Tower from Alcazar Garden |
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| Aloe rubroviolacea |
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| Agave weberi 'Arizona Star' |
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| Agave weberi 'Arizona Star' |
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| Aloe speciosa |
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| Aloe sabaea |
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| Dragon tree (Dracaena draco) |
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| Aloes and agaves at Balboa Park Activity Center in desperate need of rain |
Speaking of rain, or rather the severe lack thereof: It was shocking to see plants that usually handle extended dry spells with aplomb on the verge of death: aloes, agaves, and even opuntias. The 2017-2018 water year is shaping up to be one of the
driest on record for San Diego: just
3.32" between October 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.
Comments
I was shocked a) to find out it had rained so little in SD, and b) to see succulents suffering like that. A very real reminder that we're in a permanent state of drought in California.
Yeah, so dry, so dry, so dry...a miserable winter it was. :(