Who can resist a Mexican grass tree for $10.50?

There are few things I find harder to resist than plants sold at a great price. If it's a plant I don't have yet, even better. But I won't automatically turn down a plant just because I already have one in the garden.

Here's a case in point: A few weekends ago, I ventured to Green Acres Nursery in Sacramento to buy some vegetable starts. Needless to say I checked out the non-vegetable offerings as well. And lo and behold, I found a bunch of Mexican grass trees (Dasylirion longissimum) in #1 pots for $10.50.

What's remarkable is the size of these dasylirions: They were larger than the plants in #5 pots for $30! In fact, the plastic containers were deformed by the pressure from the roots. And yet, as root bound as they were, they looked perfectly happy.

Would you be surprised if I told you that I bought one? Of course not. I already have two Dasylirion  longissimum, but seeing how it's a favorite of mine—a poor man's Xanthorrhoea if you will—I couldn't resist.

Here it is in its new home:



Ideally, it should have gone into a larger pot, but I love this ribbed container, and I don't have a larger size on hand.

Just look at the trunk:



Whoever cut off the old leaves did a really good job!



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Comments

  1. Nice find! So what veggies did you buy? Do you guys usually grow vegetables? I remember the area of your garden that seems like a vegetable garden but can't picture them actually growing there.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I bought an 'Early Girl' and some cherry-type tomato, and plain basil. Couldn't find green onions.

      We're not doing the full-on vegetable garden anymore. It's easy enough to buy organic produce at the Davis Food Co-Op.

      I've commandeered two and a half of the three raised vegetable beds for my succulent "nursery."

      Delete
  2. That is an utterly remarkable price! You could probably have bought more and sold some at a profit ;)

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    Replies
    1. I was tempted, but I have so many potted plants in my "nursery" already....

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  3. That looks great, at a bargain price. Pretty pot, too.

    I am trying to figure out how to expose the trunk on mine. It's on a slope which is one issue, and it's real big, which is another. A lot trickier than expected.

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    Replies
    1. I imagine it's much harder to do with an older plant. I mean, who wants to crawl under there to remove the dead leaves?

      I'm faced with a somewhat similar situation with my 6-ft Yucca rostrata. I really want to remove the dead leaves but it's a poky affair!

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  4. Gotta love bargains. What's it like being able to shop inside a garden center? Ours are still only curb side.

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    Replies
    1. It's pretty much like going to the grocery store. Keep your distance, wear gloves and a mask, and try to stay out of other people's way. I've not had a bad experience yet.

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  5. Fabulous fine, lucky you. I'm surprised you only got one...

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