Succulents and More™

Dan Zarrella ( mojave.lv ), one of the country’s leading experts on Agave utahensis , has written two guest posts for Succulents and More: Agave utahensis in habitat and in cultivation (September 2024) Agave utahensis clonal rings (November 2024) Now Dan has published his first book based on years of field research and practical propagation experience: Meeting Agave utahensis . Read on to find out more. If you’re interested, you can pre-order the book for $30 until September 9, 2026. This includes a signed softcover edition of the book, a high-resolution PDF for instant download, and a bonus packet of Agave utahensis seeds harvested from hand-pollinated plants in Dan’s collection. All the photos and pullout quotes below are from the book. © 2026 Dan Zarrella. All rights reserved. Book cover Of the 270+ species of agaves , few have the allure and mystique of Agave utahensis , one of North America’s most distinctive agaves. This is doubly true for variety eborispina , which is ...

‟A book about Texas gardens? I live in California / Arizona / Oregon / Washington / etc. How is that relevant for me and why should I care?” I'm sure that's what some of you may be thinking. And I get it. We tend to focus on places and things we're familiar with. But most of the time, the challenges we face, as well as the joys and triumphs we experience, are not unique to where we live. I was reminded of that in vivid terms when I read Pam Penick's new book, Gardens of Texas: Visions of Resilience from the Lone Star State . In this review, I will explain why it resonates with me so strongly. Pam Penick, photographed by Kenny Braun Texas is enormous: encompassing 268,000 square miles, it's the second largest U.S. state by area (Alaska is #1).  It's part of the southern Great Plains , but it spans ten ecoregions and USDA hardiness zones  6b to 10b. Yearly rainfall totals range from 60 inches in southeastern Texas to 10 inches in El Paso. Challenges include everyt...

It’s safe to say that when Ruth Bancroft (born in 1908) started her dry garden in 1971 at the age of 63, she had no idea that it would become a major source of inspiration for countless homeowners and attract visitors from all over the world. Initially, all she wanted was to finally put her potted succulents in the ground. But what she ended up creating ushered in a new era of water-wise gardening. Ruth had been an avid gardener since moving to her husband’s family orchard in 1939 and started a traditional garden around the main house in 1950 (think bearded irises and roses). Her interest in succulents began a few years later with the purchase of a single potted aeonium ( Aeonium ‘Glenn Davidson’), descendants of which are still growing in the garden. This marked the start of a significant collection of potted succulents (more than 2,000) that she grew in greenhouses. Ruth Bancroft in 2004 at age 96. © Saxon Holt/PhotoBotanic 415-898-8880 The pivotal moment for the creation of Ruth’s ...

Greg Starr needs little introduction. He’s an inveterate traveler and plant explorer, a leading expert on agaves, the author of many articles and several books, and a popular speaker on the cactus club lecture circuit. His contributions to botany include the formal description of eight species and one subspecies of Agave [ 1 ], three species of Hesperaloe [ 2 ], and one cactus species [ 3 ]. In addition, he is the owner and operator of Starr Nursery in Tucson, AZ. In 2021, Greg published the revised edition of Cool Plants for Hot Gardens highlighting 150 plants ideally suited for arid climates ( click here to read my review). His new book, Cool Cacti and Succulents for Hot Gardens , is a companion resource. It features 150 water-smart choices for the Southwestern U.S. and California as well as dry regions of Australia and parts of Europe that have a Mediterranean climate. In the introduction, Greg explains how to use the book and briefly touches on things like climate zones, planti...

Dudleyas are a genus of succulent plants native to the coastal and inland regions of California and Baja California, Mexico. They are often found clinging to cliffs and rock outcrops where they survive on very little water – a testament to their remarkable resilience. With symmetrical rosettes that range in color from pure white to vibrant green, sometimes with reddish leaf edges, they are seductively beautiful. Even though dudleyas are found in many places from far northern California to the southern tip of Baja, they’re not well known among plant lovers, even in California native plant circles. Dudleyas did make the news in 2018 and 2019 after large-scale poaching of Dudleya farinosa  by foreign nationals had been discovered on the north coast of California. In response, legislation was passed in 2021 that provides important protections for dudleyas. To raise awareness, the California Native Plant Society has  introduced animated mascots for 18 California species. What fr...