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.
In coastal San Francisco, I can grow pretty much any dudleya I can get my hands on. Dudleya caespitosa and farinosa, both natives to this stretch of coast, are pretty easy to keep happy. Dudleya greenei 'Anacapa,' generally accepted to actually be Frank Reinelt's caespitosa hybrid, is the easiest to please and best looking year-round. Brittonii is no trouble at all as long as it gets just the right spot in the sun with impeccable drainage.
HOWEVER, I have killed all my dudleya cymosa, a native of our local coastal canyons. I didn't water them to death or anything like that. They just didn't thrive and eventually declined. I will try again, but before I do, can anyone weigh in on growing culture for d. cymosa contrasted to other dudleyas? I have a basic understanding of canyon habitat, but I must be missing some finer points to keeping these plants happy.
Although this species is found in some coastal locations, the vast majority hail from inland sections of California. When I lived in Walnut Creek, I would frequently find beautiful examples of this species growing on moss covered boulders in shady conditions on the eastern slope of Mt. Diablo. I grew these when I 1st started growing succulents, but was a teenager without much good horticultural advice. Since then I've grown many other species of this genus, and learned how to grow them with a reasonable amount of success. So in summary, I would try to mimic the conditions they clearly enjoy: moderate warmth, some shade, virtually no soil, and only water (if needed) with pure rainwater (if at all possible) during the cooler months of the year.
Tom in Tucson wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 12:45 pm
Although this species is found in some coastal locations, the vast majority hail from inland sections of California. When I lived in Walnut Creek, I would frequently find beautiful examples of this species growing on moss covered boulders in shady conditions on the eastern slope of Mt. Diablo. I grew these when I 1st started growing succulents, but was a teenager without much good horticultural advice. Since then I've grown many other species of this genus, and learned how to grow them with a reasonable amount of success. So in summary, I would try to mimic the conditions they clearly enjoy: moderate warmth, some shade, virtually no soil, and only water (if needed) with pure rainwater (if at all possible) during the cooler months of the year.
Good luck!
Helpful! Observations in habitat are illuminating. Much thanks Tom.
Stan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 03, 2023 12:14 pm
My guess is too warm roots. Try a very fast mix and use a glazed pot with large drainage hole or holes to keep the roots cool in summer.
Thanks for chiming in. Indeed, I found some of my dudleyas in containers to be stressed. I don't doubt their suitability for container culture, but ultimately I have found it easiest to ground plant them in rock piles and leave them to fend for themselves. Plants that were struggling have perked up. Even though we're on dune sand here, they still seem the better for being planted in this fashion, nestled between stones with a bit of grit and gravel and only a touch of organic matter.
