When an aeonium elongates into bloom, you know the rosette is toast. But the flowers are spectacular. It’s a life lesson: Enjoy the moment. Beauty is fleeting. This is Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’. Continue Reading →
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Robin’s Succulent Sphere
Robin Stockwell (right), owner of Succulent Gardens Nursery, has a reputation of creating over-the-top displays for the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. Like two years ago, a cube house with succulent walls and a moat. Robin’s known for his vertical displays of succulents—entire panels consisting of little plants with different colored leaves. So take a look at this. Does it look familiar? Yep, Robin has made a huge succulent globe for the show this year, which is taking place right now through March 24. Below are photos of the globe under construction. Details are on the Succulent Gardens website. Continue Reading →
Time to Celebrate Ice Plants!
I showed this photo recently at one of my presentations. In the back of the room, a little girl stood on a chair to see better. I understood; as a child growing up in Southern CA, I also was captivated by brilliant ice plant blooms.
Those colors! As blindingly bright as ever a flower could be. Continue Reading →
Living Rocks (Pleiospilos nelii)
These odd little African succulents start out egg-shaped, then split open to reveal a smaller capsule that in turn splits open at right angles to the first.
In spring, being ice plants, they produce neon-bright, multipetalled, daisylike flowers. Continue Reading →
South African Adventure
One of the great things about being a horticulturist specializing in succulents is that I’m part of a worldwide community of like-minded enthusiasts. Case in point is an email I received this week from Jeremy Proctor, who lives in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. He had visited South Africa and sent me a link to a Picasa page with his photos of the marvelous succulents he saw. Below are some of the highlights, with his comments and then mine in italics.
“A kokerboom tree (Aloe dichotoma) — the first of many I saw up-close on this trip.”
And it’s in bloom! People may not realize that there are succulent trees. This one grows well in Southern CA, too, if given excellent drainage. Continue Reading →
