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Mexican Snowball

Mexican snowball is easy to propagate.

Some might know Mexican snowball, Echeveria elegans, as hen and chicks. However, a few species of Echeveria and related Sempervivum have the same name. Foliar rosettes produce smaller rosettes that resemble chicks around their mother hen. Smaller rosettes, or pups, are easy to separate and grow into new plants. Some might already have roots.

Individual rosettes seem to be nearly spherical, but are a bit wider than high. The biggest are only about four inches wide. The evergreen foliage is very pale bluish green. Leaves are plumply succulent. Their arrangement is neatly symmetrical like scales of pinecones. Rosettes form colonies, which resemble stashes of snowballs more than hen and chicks.

Mexican snowball prefers sunny exposures with regular irrigation. It can tolerate a slight bit of shade and lapses of irrigation, though. It is popular as a component of mixed small perennials in large pots or urns. For low stone retaining walls or berms, it can grow from crevices. Its small pink flowers with yellow tips usually bloom as winter becomes spring. Although small, the color contrasts nicely with such pale foliage.

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Succulents Within Average Home Gardens

Succulents contribute form, color and texture.

All cacti are succulents. So are all agaves. Technically, yuccas are too, even though they are no more succulent than palm trees. Perhaps that is why succulents have a reputation as xerophytic plants. In other words, succulents are supposedly drought tolerant. Most of these examples are. However, there are more succulents than cacti, agaves and yuccas.

Cacti, agaves and yuccas, as well as some of the euphorbias, are the spiny succulents. It is how they defend themselves from hungry herbivores within their natural ecosystems. Although they have a reputation as xerophytic, some uncommon sorts are quite tropical. Some can grow quite big, and because of their spines, can become difficult to work with.

Fortunately, many other succulents are neither as spiny nor as potentially cumbersome. However, contrary to popular conception, many of them are also not as xerophytic. Many that can survive with minimal irrigation perform better with occasional irrigation. Several require regular irrigation. Succulents should not be synonymous with drought tolerance.

Aeoniums, or houseleeks, can easily survive with minimal irrigation for a significant time. However, their otherwise luxuriant foliar rosettes partially defoliate to conserve moisture. With regular irrigation, they are lush, sculptural and colorful. Some are rich bronze while others exhibit delightful variegation. Aeoniums are among the more popular succulents.

Almost all small scale succulents, and a few larger ones, are easy to grow from cuttings. Clumping sorts, such as echeveria, are about as easy to propagate by division. Cuttings or pups of most sorts can be plugged directly where new plants are desirable. They only require frequent watering as they disperse roots. Then, they need only regular irrigation.

Also, almost all succulents can grow in pots. Cacti merely require very efficient drainage. Some big and spiny succulents, though, are not as portable as other potted plants. Large cacti can break if jarred. Agaves can get too heavy and broad to move safely. Otherwise, confinement of roots within pots is no problem. Some potted plants can be houseplants.

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Six on Saturday: Silly Succulents

Five of these six succulents have weirdly silly common names. I did not notice until after I got all of their pictures.

1. Carpobrotus edulis or Carpobrotus chilensis, pigface is a new acquisition that should help stabilize a sandy bank in one of our landscapes. It came from a beach in Santa Cruz.

2. Aeonium arboreum, common houseleek not only has a silly name, but also has a silly form, with wide foliar rosettes suspended by lanky and otherwise awkwardly bare stems.

3. Graptopetalum pentandrum, bluebean is not actually within any of the landscapes. It is a diminutive specimen that remains potted in the nursery. I am unsure of its identity.

4. Echeveria elegans, Mexican snowball contrasts splendidly with the limey green of the common houseleek, which it grows at the base of. I would not mind more of these about.

5. Crassula ovata ‘Hobbit’, Hobbit’s pipe, like common houseleek, is silly both in name, and in form, with these oddly tubular leaves. It is a lighter green than typical jade plant.

6. Crassula ovata, jade plant is the only one of these Six that lacks silliness. Its bloom is too cute in closeup view to omit, though. Besides, Six on Saturday is better with flowers.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

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Candelabra Tree

Candelabra tree resembles cacti, but is not related.

The weirdly sculptural succulent stems of candelabra tree, Euphorbia ingens, dark green but devoid of any real foliage, are striking in the right situation. These stems resemble those of unrelated cactus, with longitudinal ridges topped with spines. Although botanically interesting, the minute greenish yellow flowers that bloom in autumn and winter on the ridges of the upper portions of the upper segments are not much to look at. Deep red seed capsules that turn purple as they ripen sometimes develop in milder climates after the flowers are gone, but are almost never seen locally.
Good exposure is preferred. Candelabra tree are better structured and more prominent standing alone away from other larger trees and shrubs. Cool winters and occasional frosts limit their height to not much more than fifteen feet; and unusually cold frost can actually kill big specimens back severely. However, in sheltered areas and milder climates, candelabra tree can get twice as tall. Soil should drain very well and get dry between watering. Regular watering can cause rot, particularly in dense or rich soil.
The main problem with candelabra tree is the remarkably caustic latex sap, which can be dangerous to children, chewing dogs or even those who need to prune the stems. Fortunately, candelabra tree needs very little attention, and only needs to be pruned where the stems get in the way or start to lean against fences or roofs. The caustic sap prevents insect problems.

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Why Bother?

Nasturtiums were a good choice for my downtown planter box, or so I thought. I know that people pick flowers from such planter boxes. I figured that nasturtiums bloom so abundantly that no one could possibly pick all the flowers from them. Technically, I was correct. Technically, not all of the flowers were picked. However, there were times when only a few of the abundant flowers remained. I replaced them with some sort of compact aeonium like perennial that I can not identify. It forms dense mounds of yellowish green succulent foliage that I figured no one would bother. I do not mind when I notice a few pieces missing. There is enough to share. What I do mind is that someone clear cut harvested enough to leave this bald patch. The left half of the picture demonstrates what it should look like. What is worse is that there is so much of it extending outside of the railing that would not have been missed if it had been taken. Also, as the picture below shows, the more prominent common aeonium is not exempt from such pilferage. So, why do I bother? Well, I still enjoy my downtown planter box.

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Sticks on Fire

Sticks on fire is a more colorful and more compact version of pencil tree.

The old fashioned pencil tree, with leafless, succulent stems is a strikingly strange plant already. In mild climates of coastal Southern California, it can get quite large, nearly ten feet broad and twice as high. Sticks on Fire, Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’, stays less than half as large, but is even weirder because the stems are so oddly colored.

The inconspicuous leaves drop almost as soon as they develop, leaving distended fleshy stems that are either reddish or yellowish orange. Stems fade to softer yellow through summer, and then turn red in winter. Size and growth rate are limited by a lack of chlorophyll. Although related to poinsettia, the flowers of sticks on fire are not significant.

Sticks on fire prefers full sun exposure and warmth, but unfortunately needs protection from frost during winter. It can be happy under an eave on a south or west facing wall, or in a large tub that can be moved to shelter during winter. Plants in tubs are a bit more sensitive to rot if watered too frequently. The sap of sticks on fire is very caustic to skin and can be dangerous if it gets in the eyes.

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Aeonium arboreum

Aeonium arboreum will grow about anywhere.

The once traditional Aeonium arboreum, with round, dense rosettes of slightly serrate, olive green leaves has become less popular than its more colorful varieties that have become more available over the years. ‘Atropurpureum’ has rich purplish brown foliage. ‘Zwartkop’ is even darker and stays more compact. Long and sometimes unkempt clusters of tiny yellow flowers that bloom in spring or summer are not much to look at against green foliage, but contrast nicely against dark foliage. Larger plants can get to three feet tall and wide, with foliar rosettes wider than six inches.

Like many succulents, Aeonium arboreum is so easy to propagate from cuttings, that small pieces that need to be pruned from established plants can be plugged into the garden wherever more of the same plants are desired. New cuttings like to be watered until they develop roots. Established plants are a bit happier with occasional watering, but can survive neglect just fine. After all, they are native to similar climates in the Mediterranean and northern Africa.

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Six on Saturday: Abandoned

These are a few plants that survived where my former home was abandoned, and where the new home is to be built. Some of them had been here since 2006 nineteen years ago.

1. Cereus peruvianus, night blooming cereus is from Brent’s former Miracle Mile garden balcony. I do not know why it is so spiny now. Maybe it is angry about being abandoned. Aeonium arboreum, common houseleek is from another friend’s garden near Monterey.

2. Crassula arborescens spp. undulatifolia, ripple jade, as well as the pinwheel aeonium below, remain unidentified. These names that I present here are merely guesses of their identities. Anyway, I procured this from a jobsite that I worked at in Hayward years ago.

3. Aeonium haworthii, pinwheel aeonium came from the same garden that the common houseleek came from near Monterey. The slope that it is attached to is actually too steep to stand on. Yucca recurvifolia, curve leaf yucca is from an old jobsite in Boulder Creek.

4. Aloe arborescens, candelabra aloe came from the home garden of an old friend in the East Hills of San Jose. It is higher on the same steep slope as the pinwheel aeonium and curve leaf yucca. It should grow better and produce pups for dividing with a bit of water.

5. Pelargonium graveolens, rose geranium impresses me most because it survived for so long, like the other perennials, but is supposedly not as resilient as they are. I found this in an old home garden in San Francisco, although I believe that it is common elsewhere.

6. Iris pallida, Dalmatian iris is important because it is from the garden of my maternal maternal great grandmother in Oklahoma. I acquired it when I was about four. Crassula ovata, jade plant was from my former home in town, where I lived after the earthquake.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

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Rock Purslane

The pinkish magenta of rock purslane bloom is almost obnoxiously bright.

In Santa Cruz and coastal areas down to Los Angeles and San Diego, rock purslane, Calandrinia spectabilis (grandiflora) has been popular for only a few years. It is still somewhat uncommon here in the Santa Clara Valley. Because of the ambiguity of its Latin species name, it is most  commonly known simply by its genus name of Calandrinia.

Moderate watering is best. On the coast, rock purslane only needs water occasionally through the driest summer weather. It should recover readily from winter frost damage. Partial shade is not a problem, but may limit profusion of bloom. Harsh exposure or reflected glare can actually roast the tender succulent foliage.

From about now through autumn, limber, two foot tall stems suspend strikingly bright magenta flowers above the low, grayish evergreen foliage. The fragile leaves are neatly arranged in terminal rosettes. Foliage, stems, flower stalks and all parts are sensitive to traffic, and can even get broken by a cat sneaking through the garden. Broken bits and pieces of stem root very easily to make new plants, though.

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Pork & Beans

If it appears to be related to burrow’s tail, it is because pork & beans is the same genus.

The tender succulent foliage of pork and beans, Sedum rubrotinctum, is as squishy as it appears to be, so is safest where it will not be disturbed. Although it sprawls around without getting much deeper than six inches, it does not fill in reliably enough to be a real ground cover over a large area anyway. It can instead add color and texture in small doses between larger plants or stones. It is a nice addition to urns of mixed perennials, rock gardens and dish gardens. It propagates very easily from stem cuttings or even leaves that break off, so can be tucked into gaps in stone walls.

The plump three quarter inch long leaves resemble jelly beans more than pork and beans, since they are green where shaded. More exposed foliage is more bronzy red or brown, especially at the tips. Small clusters of tiny yellowish flowers are held above the foliage on reddish brown stems in spring.