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By Geoff Stein (palmbob)
Dudleya is a large genus of about 40 species, many of which are native to California and northern Mexico. Only a handful are common in cultivation and many are on the endangered species list. A few can only be found on some of the islands off the California coast. At one time Dudleyas were included in the Echeveria genus, and one can certainly see why as some species are a bit hard to tell from Echeverias. All Dudleyas are rosette-forming succulents, like the Echeverias, and many are similarly colored. Most Dudleyas are silvery grey, have very delicate leaves that are either flattened or tubular and tend to form stems over time. Most of the flat, thick-leaved forms grow as solitary rosettes while the tubular-leaved species form dense, suckering colonies. The flowers differ somewhat from Echeveria flowers and that is probably the primary reason they are in their own genus now. Dudleya flowers arise from somewhere near the bottom of the rosettes normally (rarely from the rosette center as most Echeveria flowers do). Also, Dudleya flowers are characteristically covered with leaves that are spread out along the peduncle up to the flower, another non-Echeveria-like trait. Most Dudleyas flower in late winter to early spring, and flower colors range from white, to yellow to bright red. a few Echeverias from my yard: Echeveria colorata, 'Black Prince' and 'Imbricata'
Echeveria-like Dudleya cymosa (photo Ally_UT) non-Echeveria-like Dudleya densiflora semi-Echeveria-like Dudleya sp. in my yard
In general these are long-lived plants; with proper care they can survive up to 100 years (hence their common name: Live-Forever). Dudleyas are wonderfully adapted to the southern California climate, which is wet in winter and dry in summer (generally the opposite of how Echeverias prefer things, but Echeverias are obviously quite hardy and most do well in southern California anyway). In other words, Dudleyas are winter growers, often being dormant in summers. In fact, watering some Dudleyas in the summer can simply kill them, allowing them to rot from overgrowth of Alternaria (a fungus). Some species do not have roots that are able to absorb moisture well in the high heat, so water simply rots the roots. Additionally Dudleyas can rot from the crown, or rosette on down, particularly if water is left sitting on the delicate leaves (some are more sensitive than others). For this reason the general recommendation when watering Dudleyas is to either avoid getting water on the leaves, or plant them at angles so the water runs off. In nature, many species grow naturally on cliff faces and steep slopes so water cannot sit on these plants. Dudleyas grow well in pots and make excellent outdoor specimens in Mediterranean climates. They can be tough to grow indoors as low-light situations are stressful for them and make them etiolate and prone to mealybug infestation and rot. Potting soil should be very well-draining; many growers amend available soils with sharp sand and pumice to insure good drainage.
Primary health problems include mealybug infestations, particularly on shade-grown plants, fungal rot (especially on improperly watered plants in hot weather) and snail and slug predation. Weather extremes are also problems, particularly the farther one grows these from the coast. Blistering summer heat and freezing temperatures are very hard on most Dudleyas, though some species are native to more inland locales, and these ones are well adapted to these more extreme climates. The following are some of the more commonly grown species. Dudleya anthonyi: I have a seedling of this Mexican species (Baja California) and it is a nice-looking plant with red flowers. Older plants get large and chalky white and a solitary with wide-leaf rosettes, making them difficult sometimes to distinguish from Dudleya brittonii. So far that is not a problem in my garden. Dudleya brittonii: In my opinion, this is the best of all the Dudleyas, with its nearly pure white leaves and large rosettes. It is both an excellent garden as well as pot specimen plant. This plant eventually grows a stem up to two feet tall thickly covered with a skirt made of hundreds of old dead leaves. Flowers are a bright yellow though the pink-red flower stems are even more spectacular than the flowers themselves. Old plants often have many dozens of dried old flower stalks radiating from the living rosette. This is nearly always a solitary species. Dudleya brittonii is another Baja California species. Dudleya brittoniis in the landscape in Southern California
show plant nearly pure white in color maturing plant very old potted plant with about an 18" stem Dudleya caespitosa (aka Sand Lettuce, Bluff Lettuce or Coastal Dudleya): This is a thick-leaved suckering species from coastal California, including some of the islands off the southern coast. Flowers are pale to bright yellow and leaves are a chalky blue-white, to a pale green, and even sometimes reddish in severe stress. Dudleya caespitosa in the landscape... note variation in color
Supposedly is Dudleya caespitosa, though flowers are bit pale in color for this species (normally are bright yellow) Dudleya edulis (aka Fingertips Live-forever): This is not common in cultivation and it is not a particularly attractive plant. However, I have one and it looks nice with its rubbery, tubular pale-green leaves growing out of the red lava rock in the front yard. It is a densely suckering species. Flowers are yellow. Dudleya edulis are native to coastal California down to northern Baja California. My Dudleya edulis in winter, flowering in late spring, and suffering in late summer Dudleya guadalupensis: This is a Mexican (Baja California and Guadalupe Island) species and one of the greener Dudleyas. It suckers but has fairly flattened leaves. Flowers are pale to bright yellow. Dudleya guadalupensis in southern Californnia Dudleya hassei: this is another aggressively suckering species with chalky- blue fingers and pale yellow flowers. I have this in my garden and it's a very easy plant, but looks sad in full sun summer heat. This Dudleya is native to Catalina Island just of the coastline of Los Angeles. Dudleya hassei in southern California Dudleya pulverulenta (aka Chalk Dudleya): sometimes I cannot readily distinguish this one from Dudleya brittonii if plants are immature as it, too, has a very chalky, almost white dusting on its wide, pointed leaves. It is another solitary species and commonly seen along the cliff faces in southern California, even inland to some degree. This is another gorgeous plant.
These are just some of the Dudleyas I have seen growing in my or other gardens. There are many more, and I have seen a number that had no identification. Many Dudleyas tend to look alike, and I am not an expert at telling most of these plants apart. Additionally, many plants look very different depending on what sort of cultivation they experience. Wild, ‘hard-grown' plants often look very different from coddled, protected potted plants adding to the identification confusion. The following are Dudleyas in my garden and elsewhere that are still awaiting proper identification. Dudleya acuminata (photo by Thistlesifter) Dudleya attenuata (photo by Xenomorf) Dudleya densiflora Dudleya farinosa (photo by kennedyh ) Dudleya ingens and flower of Dudleya ingens
Dudleya pachyphytum Dudleya virens Dudleya gnomas in my garden and in plant show (last photo by Xenomorf)
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Dudleya sp. in my yard showing exposed stem (some Echeverias next to them)
This Dudleya virens in a plant show is perfectly happy as a potted plant
Dudleya anthonyi (young one)
Dudleya pulverulentas in botanical gardens
Dudleya pulverulenta in nature, and in nursery for sale
Dudleya lanceolatas in nature (photo by Kelli)
