California Native Plants for the Garden: Dudleyas

Chalk dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta) tucked between rocks bordering steps in a private garden in Montecito. Photograph by Stephen Ingram

[sidebar]Dudleya species
DUDLEYAS
Stone-crop Family (Crassulaceae)
Plant Type: Succulents.
Geographic Zones: Varies with species.
Light: Sun to partial shade.
Soil: Varies with species.
Water: Drought tolerant to infrequent; usually essential to avoid summer watering.
Natural Habitat and Range: Rocky, clayey, or sandy sites in coastal scrub, chaparral, mixed-evergreen forests, and deserts to 9000 feet; California Floristic Province, with a few species in Arizona, Oregon, and the Cape Province of Baja California.[/sidebar]

One of the common names for Dudleya is “liveforever,” which speaks volumes about this western North American genus that thrives on neglect. Some species reputedly live as long as fifty to one hundred years, others a “mere” twenty. This genus contains a number of California’s most rewarding succulents for use in horticulture. Its numerous species offer a dizzying array of leaf shapes, sizes, habits, and flower colors for the garden.

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