Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Plant of the Week: Britton's Liveforever


When the annuals start looking crispy, Dudleya brittonii stays cool as a cucumber.  A sweet rosette of gray-white leaves, this succulent glows radiantly when paired with grasses and small-leaved natives.  From Baja, she's sort of pushing the boundary of CA native, so not on the wishlist of the purists out there.  Pink tinged stems rise Winter to Spring, bringing little yellow flowers with them.

Sun:  Part shade or morning sun is ideal.
Soil:  very well drained, containers with lots of lava rock are recommended if you're worried about garden soil conditions
Plant:  Anytime
But it:  Cactus Jungle!  Great nursery with bonus whippets.  I also wonder if the Dry Garden carries them...
Good for:  rock gardens, succulent gardens, white & gray gardens, contemporary gardens, planting into rock walls, adding alternative textures

2 comments:

  1. Dudleya brittonii is a beauty. I love succulents and enjoy finding the strange and unusual. Some people are opposed to them which baffles me. They are so lovely durable and perfect.

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  2. Oh it's that perennial question of what makes a native plant a native plant... Here in San Diego a lot of homes of the Mexican species are closer to town than a lot of the so-called California natives. This dudleya does amazingly well for us here, while woodland selections from up near the Oregon border don't stand much of a chance.

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