Sensational Succulents for San Diego

It’s time to recap all the fantastic succulents we looked at this week.  These plants are great for low maintenance and very drought tolerant gardens.  Here they are along with links to all of my posts on these beauties.

After Glow Echeveria

Echeveria sp. ‘After Glow’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-echerveria-sp-after-glow.html 

Blue Chalk Fingers

Senecio vitalis

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-blue-chalk-fingers-senecio.html

Blue Chalk Sticks

Senecio mandraliscae

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-blue-chalk-sticks-senecio.html 

Blue Sky Echeveria

Echeveria sp. ‘Blue Sky’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-blue-sky-echeveria.html

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-echeveria-sp-blue-sky.html 

Burro’s Tail

Sedum morganium

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-burros-tail-sedum-morganium.html 

Crinkly Echeveria

Echeveria sp. ‘Crinkly’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-echeveria-sp-crinkly.html 

Kiwi Aeonium

Aeonium sp. ‘Kiwi’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-kiwi-aeonium-aeonium-sp-kiwi.html 

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-aeonium-kiwi.html

Mediterranean Spurge

Euphorbia characias wulfenia

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-mediterranean-sprurge-euphorbia.html

Mint Saucer Aeonium

Aeonium sp. ‘Mint Saucer’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-aeonium-mint-saucer.html 

Mother of Thousands

Kalanchoe daigremontiana

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-mother-of-thousands-kalanchoe.html 

Paddle Plant

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-paddle-plant-kalanchoe.html 

Pork n’ Beans Sedum

Sedum rubrotinctum

 http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-pork-n-beans-sedum-sedum.html

Rock Purslane

Calindrinia grandiflora

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-rock-purslane-calindrinia.html 

Sticks on Fire

Euphorbia tirucalli

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-sticks-on-fire-euphorbia.html 

Topsy Turvey Echeveria

Echeveria sp. ‘Topsy Turvey’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-topsy-turvey-echeveria.html 

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-echeveria-sp-topsy-turvey.html

Variegated Agave

Agave americana ‘Variegata’

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-variegated-agave-agave-americana_25.html

Variegated Brazillian Aloe

Furcraea foetida mediopicta

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/photo-variegated-brazillian-aloe.html

Photo - Topsy Turvey Echeveria

The orange flowers of this succulent contrast nicely with

the soft gray foliage.  Echeverias are terrific small succulents

for containers or tight spaces.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

This short lived (3 years) succulent is a great container plant.

Needing no care and almost no water, this succulent

forms hundreds of smaller plantlets on the tips of its leaves.

These plantlets fall off to form new plants.

Mother of Thousands produce spectacular flowers at the end

of their lifespan just before dying.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Blue Sky Echeveria

This beautiful succulent blooms in the late summer and early fall.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Rock Purslane (Calindrinia grandiflora)

This tough succulent looks great in the Spring

when it is covered with tall purple blossoms.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Burro's Tail (Sedum morganium)

This cascading succulent is terrific in large containers.

Combine this plant with the Paddle Plant for a beautiful look.

Photo by Doug Kalal, taken at a client's garden in Point Loma

Gardening Tip - How to Plant Succulents

    Succulents need good draining soil to thrive.  If you are planting your succulents in the ground, then make sure the planting area soil drains well.  If you have heavy or clay soil, there are 2 solutions.  First you can amend the soil with gypsum and Gro-Power to improve the chemical composition of the soil.  Here are 2 links to other parts of my blog for tips on using those soil amendments.

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/09/gardening-tip-fixing-clay-soil-with-gro.html

http://2minutegardener.blogspot.com/2011/03/gardening-tip-fixing-clay-soil-with.html

Another way to improve the drainage is to create mounds for the succulents.  Bring in a few yards of cactus soil, or just add bags of perlite to existing soil in order to have soil that drains well.  Ideally you should have 50% perlite and 50% original soil. Mix this new soil with the old soil and create mounds.  While you are at it, add some nice rocks from KRC Rock for some terrific material contrast.  Here is their web page.

http://www.krcrock.com/ecom/index.php

Another way to grow succulents is in containers.  Here is a great video from the legendary succulent designer and author, Debra Lee Baldwin, on putting together a great succulent container.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj8vvZQAlDU

Photo - Aeonium 'Mint Saucer'

A beautiful succulent that can reach 3 feet in height.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Variegated Brazillian Aloe (Furcraea foetida mediopicta)

This versatile succulent looks great in a container or

as a focal point in a drought tolerant, low maintenance garden.

Photo by Doug Kalal

Photo - Blue Chalk Fingers (Senecio vitalis)

This succulent is more of a mounding plant than its

cousin, Blue Chalk Sticks, which tends to grow like

a groundcover.

Photo by Doug Kalal