Synonyms:

Echeveria farinosa
Cotyledon farinosa
Cotyledon farinulenta
Cotyledon lingula
Dudleya compacta
Dudleya eastwoodiae
Dudleya lingula
Dudleya septentrionalis
Echeveria compacta
Echeveria eastwoodiae
Echeveria farinulenta
Echeveria lingula
Echeveria septentrionalis

Habitat:

Dudleya farinosa is native to California and Oregon where the plant grows along the coast and can be found at elevation up to 150 m. The plant is used to dry summers and wet winters and to withstand salty sea air and nutrient-poor soils. In its natural habitat, the oceanic fog provides the necessary moisture to survive the harsh summers and shallow soils.

Description:

Dudleya farinose is a fascinating succulent with unexpected features belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant is a rosette-forming succulent that can reach up to 20 cm in height and 30 cm in diameter. The rosette is erect made of numerous fleshy leave. The leaves are thick, lanceolate, curved upward, are greyish green in color and coated with a silver powdery. The edges of the leaves sometimes can turn to red when exposed to sunlight for long periods. The specific epithet “farinosa” refers to the powdery layer made of wax and useful to reflect the sunlight and reduce water loss. In this unique succulent, a survival strategy combines with elegance, thanks to the waxy layer that gives the leaves brilliant silver hues. Flowering season occurs from the late spring to the earl summer and the blossoms are borne on long stalks rising above the rosette. The flowers, borne in cluster, are star-shaped, small, yellow to red in color. Dudleya farinosa has a significant role in the coastal ecosystem since the flowers are pollinated by bees and other important insects.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full sunlight exposure but is recommended to avoid direct sun-light during the hottest periods of the year. The plant is frost resistant but does not like temperatures below 5 °C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow for drainage and prevent root rot, as the plant is prone to it. Remember to use a perforated pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in spring and summer: during the vegetative period you can deeply water the plant, checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again. In winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lusher growth, you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with a low-nitrogen fertilizers specific for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. If the pot becomes too small for the plant, you can repot it in a pot that is 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new compost. Be careful to red spiders and scale insect. For mealybugs, you can remove them with a paintbrush dipped in alcohol, or if large numbers are present, you may use an insecticide.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. When propagating through cuttings, make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry. After a few days, the cut surface will dry, and a callus will form. Place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil, and pumice. To increase the success of propagation, you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings, it is recommended to maintain temperatures around 20°C. Propagation by seed is a simple method to propagate the plant. Simply sow the seeds in sandy loam soil and keep them in an environment with a high level of humidity and at a temperature of 14°C.

Curiosity:

The Dudleya genus takes its name from its main classifier, William Russell Dudley, director of the botanical department at Stanford University.

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www.giromagi.com

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www.giromagicactus.com

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