A tale of two dudleyas unfolding in our garden

Dudleyas are the most intriguing succulents native to California—or in a broader sense, the California Floristic Province , which extends into Oregon in the north and Baja California in the south. Geoff Stein wrote a great introduction to dudleyas on Dave's Garden so I don't need to repeat the same information here. The common name for dudleyas is live-forever, owing to their extreme longevity (some species live 100 years or longer). That, however, is in their native habitats. I doubt the same is true for cultivation. They certainly don't last that long in my garden. With some exceptions, dudleyas grow near the coast where it's nice and cool year round. In our hot inland summers, when they're dormant, they struggle mightily. Water them during their dormancy, and they'll likely rot. Don't water them at all, and they might die of desiccation. In their native environment, they get just enough moisture from the air that they're able to survive the dry seas