A Visit to Wright Nursery

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to Aeonium, Crassula, Dudleya, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Rhodiola, Sedum, Sempervium and related species. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.

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bigdaddyscondition
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A Visit to Wright Nursery

#1

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Two weeks ago I took the Clinton Keith Road exit off the 15 freeway down in southern Riverside County, California, heading west. Very soon I was driving through the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve into avocado grove country, along a winding and sometimes steep valley road eventually shaded by scrub oaks. I turned into a rocky driveway and was suddenly in the nursery of Dick Wright, a long-time echeveria hybridizer, and his son Kraig. I am here to tell you that Wright Nursery (wrightnursery.com) is very much in business.

Kraig took me through the nursery, showing me many of the hybrids his name had become synonymous with. I picked up a few tips on disease control that I plan to share in a future thread. The way I learned that Dick is still in business after the awful fire in the 1980s that destroyed his nursery was from a three-part interview series by Debra Lee Baldwin. Here's the link to Part I of her interview of Dick and Kraig talking about their hybrid varieties and growing tips ". You should be able to access the other two through this one. Also see debraleebaldwin.com's pages on echeverias.

Below are some photos, in order: 1) a lovely specimen of E. 'Culibra' [sic], so named because of the resemblance of the mature leaves to snakes; 2) a panoramic interior view of one of the nursery buildings full of Wright echeveria hybrids, 3) Kraig Wright demonstrating a hybrid, and 4) the ten hybrids I brought home, selected by Kraig for heat tolerance. I bought Echeveria 'Cupeño', Verrugas, Linguas, Curl Girl, Midway, Red Trump, Red Baron, and 3 Mauna Loas. I plan to plant them next month in a bed in front of a newly constructed modern concrete planter that will hold a screen of horsetail (Equisetum hyemale).
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Gee.S
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#2

Post by Gee.S »

Thanks for posting! I love looking at that stuff, but if I ever planted some out, they might be gone by morning!
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#3

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

I was surprised to hear Dick Wright in one of Debra Lee Baldwin's videos saying that echeverias do best in a temperature of only about 75 degrees. He has worked to develop hybrids that can stand higher temps, apparently with some success. Kraig said that 'Cupeño' is a heat-resistant Wright hybrid. There is also a Renee O'Connell hybrid called 'Sahara' that is billed as heat-resistant. One of my landscape guys who works with succulents says he stopped trying to use them in his plans because they can't stand the heat here in the IE. But I have found that prudent siting solves that problem. It's important to provide shade from afternoon sun here.

But as you said, I doubt you could get most echeverias to survive the heat of Phoenix and environs, even with shade.
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Gee.S
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#4

Post by Gee.S »

They would have to prove javelina. rabbit and rat resistant! I once tried an Aeonium in a 3' raised bed. Gone by morning after a javelina scaled the wall.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#5

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

You truly have a dilemma when pigs not only fly, but climb. I'm already seeing more rabbits around the neighborhood, and it's not even warming up yet for spring. I plan on laying a wide perimeter of Tomcat Animal Repellent granules around the bed when I plant my new eches in a few weeks. So far the rabbits haven't attacked any of my yard echeverias yet, nor my four cultivars of Aeoniums. Fingers crossed.

I am wondering what Dick Wright meant when he cited "compost mix" as an ingredient of his echeveria potting soil. In one of the videos (v.s.) he describes a mix of 6 parts pumice or Perlite, 2 parts washed sand, and 2 parts "compost mix." Is he talking about mature compost from a compost pile? I can't find anything in Home Depot called compost mix, although Kraig says on the video that all three ingredients can be found "at any Home Depot." Does he perhaps mean regular potting soil?
OLD BLUE
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#6

Post by OLD BLUE »

Thanks for posting this for all to see and wish. You did give me the urge to take a ride down there. It's only an hour or so. Don't know why I've never done it before. I've visited the Fallbrook, Vista and San Marcos areas a few times.
bigdaddyscondition
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Re: A Visit to Wright Nursery

#7

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

I don't know why I didn't go sooner, Blue. A note to those who would visit Wright Nursery--they see visitors by appointment only, so be sure to call first.
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