Visit to a succulent nursery

[Azuleja]

I'm not sure if people are interested in CA nursery pictures, but here are a few from this week.

[Azuleja]

A few more

[Azuleja]

20161013_150718.jpg (431.02 KiB) Viewed 6200 times

20161013_150342.jpg (488.18 KiB) Viewed 6200 times

Can someone identify the snakey one in the top photo here? Most things were unmarked. I really liked the Haworthia venosa 'tessellata' too, but I'm trying not to buy too many things that are frost tender. I hardly bought anything actually, but I did feel like a kid in a candy store.

[Melt in the Sun]

Nice pictures! I'm pretty sure the snakey one is Senecio stapeliiformis.

[Tony C]

Very interesting it's great to see how nursery's look in other parts of the world. Here in SA we lucky if the nursery has one shelf with succulents and cacti.

[Azuleja]

I think so too, Tony. Very few nurseries here are entirely dedicated to succulents or water wise plants. You really have to seek them out.

Thank you for the ID, Melt in the Sun. I never would have figured that out. Common name is Pickle Plant apparently

[Azuleja]

I've been to a couple of new-to-me nurseries and have seen an interesting selection of agaves. Not just run of the mill stuff at all, but at this time of year things aren't looking well cared for. That applies to almost all the succulents I've been seeing in the "off season." I saw a whole batch of mangave bloodspot frozen to mush and "Macho Mocha" looking pretty squishy as well. A lot of things are growing out of form, leggy, rain soaked, damaged or severely under potted. The focus has shifted to newly arriving bareroot roses and fruit trees, while the darlings of summer have been forgotten and left to fend for themselves. 

Here are some Dyckia "Nickel Silver" that tempted me, but I didn't bite. It's supposed to be one of the more cold tolerant varieties. They were overflowing their pots with wicked spinage and had lost a bit of their white flocking from rain.

[Azuleja]

I don't remember seeing dyckia at a nursery before, but maybe I just wasn't looking. I saw this in an unlabeled 2 gallon pot. I'm guessing it's pretty tough too. 

[Azuleja]

There were a few sansevierias sitting outdoors in the rain and cold. I chose this 6" pot of S. cylindrica, my first sans. One leaf is frost damaged or water logged and feels spongy, but the other 4 look healthy and there are 3 offsets. It's practically swimming in soggy medium so I hope it doesn't croak.

[Azuleja]

There was also this guy. I pulled the pot out to check the price, $19.95. This is S. hallii isn't it? I don't really get the appeal but it seems like a nice deal for someone?

[Azuleja]

There were lots of other succulents and cactus, including several types of aloes but I was lousy about taking photos so I have nothing to show you except this one. If it's been correctly labeled, it's Aloe marlothii. There were about 12 of them, each slightly different from the next with deadly thick spines all over the leaf backs. This one had the least amount of extra spinage, which I was thankful for as I held it on my lap all across town and back home again. It's 12" across and will fill a pot nicely. Will I see them again? At $11.95, I'm wondering if I don't need a pair.

[Azuleja]

A parting shot of my very end of the year finds and warm wishes for a happy and safe New Year.

[Spination]

Nice haul. Thanks for the pictures too. I think that is a very good deal on the S. halli; a nice cluster undoubtedly at least 1/2 a decade ++ old judging by the spreading rhizome propagates. Common name for them is "baseball bat", but I think that name referring to it's look is more true for when they are older and much taller, although there's one leaf in that pot that's getting there.

[Gee.S]

There was also this guy. I pulled the pot out to check the price, $19.95. This is S. hallii isn't it? I don't really get the appeal but it seems like a nice deal for someone?

Hell, I would have grabbed that for $20.

[Azuleja]

^I haven't seen one that doesn't look like a few large leaves stuck haphazardly here and there. Do they grow into a more organized form?

[Spination]

As a young plant, the form is "rosette", albeit 2-3 leaved rosettes (usually 2 with perhaps another small leaf that never really develops). The rhizome creeps, producing more growths (usually increasing in size if growing conditions are conducive), until eventually the above ground leaves are producing enough combined energy for the entire attached underground rhizome to push forth subsequently larger single leaves. At least, that is my understanding of the process to date...

PS - the beauty for me of many of these Sansevierias is the apparent asymmetry of them. They are the Pablo Picasso's of the plant world.

[Azuleja]

So basically a meandering trail of baseball bats? I get my fill of it during the regular season, but I don't think it's going anywhere soon if any of you will be passing through.

[Gee.S]

Same growth pattern for S. cylindrica, it's no different. For gardeners, it becomes a matter of how long we can keep them alive. In habitat, they form dense fields, and I've seen dense Sans fields out of doors in SoCal and FL.

[Stan]

Oops did it again. Wrote a reply...thought I sent it. So,second time= Nice plants. I see a couple I would have put in the cart. The best Sans I have ever did outdoors 100% of the time is Bartells Sensation. I have no idea why it does great,blooms..all that.

[Azuleja]

^I'll keep that in mind if I see it. I'm looking for a sans to keep on the porch with purple heart. There's an image I found online of a large container with tall sans trifasciata, purple heart and trailing dichondra. The different heights and shades of purple and silver look like a winning combination.

[Gee.S]

S. trifasciata will melt at 32°F. I believe I've had some take substantial damage at closer to 35°F.

[Azuleja]

PS - the beauty for me of many of these Sansevierias is the apparent asymmetry of them. They are the Pablo Picasso's of the plant world.

Okay, I can see that.

Same growth pattern for S. cylindrica, it's no different. For gardeners, it becomes a matter of how long we can keep them alive. In habitat, they form dense fields, and I've seen dense Sans fields out of doors in SoCal and FL.

Now I just feel bad I'm not a gardener.

[Azuleja]

S. trifasciata will melt at 32°F. I believe I've had some take substantial damage at closer to 35°F.

I'm not sure about the S. cylindrica either? Since it's already been living outdoors, under an open shade structure, I figured it was worth trying.

[Gee.S]

How 9a are you? I've tried several different Sans varieties over the years (I'm 9a/9b), and my opinion is that none can survive prolonged freezing temps. The one I've had the best luck with is S. cylindrica. My contention is that cylindrica can survive freezing temps for longer than trifasciata because of it's very dense, thick leaves. S. trifasciata takes horrific damage at 32°F within minutes, but S. cylindrica might manage a few hours before the center of the leaves freeze, and until that happens, may take little to no visible damage. Mine are in a raised bed very near thick concrete walls (a heat source), and under a dwarf fan palm. It also helps to keep them dry. I have had S. cylindrica survive high teens covered in that bed with just minimal damage.

You should probably consider yours a houseplant for now, then plant it out in the warmest, best protected spot on your property come spring and cross your fingers.

[Azuleja]

9a temps are where we dip to on really cold nights, not where temperatures usually stay for long periods of time. It usually snows lightly once or twice a year and melts within a day. Last year the low was 22°. So far this year, 26°.