Common name:Kiwi Aeonium
Botanical name:Aeonium 'Kiwi'
Kiwi Aeonium is a succulent that forms rosettes of multi-colored leaves. The leaves in the center are yellow in color and become green towards the edges. The edges of the leaves are red. In the summer, it has yellow flowers. It is good in full sun and is drought tolerant when established. Great accent plant for Mediterranean Gardens.
Common name:Parry's Agave
Botanical name:Agave parryi ssp. parryi
Medium sized agave to grows to 2' x 2'. Most cold hardy of agaves. Leaves are light grey to blue-green, wedge-shaped and up to 1 1/2' long.Widely adaptable to soils and exposures. Susceptible to weevils. Rosettes are mid sized, compact, gray to light green. Native to central and southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and Mexico.
Common name:Silver Pig's Ear
Botanical name:Cotyledon orbiculata 'Cinderella'
This succulent perennial will grow 24"-36" high and wide. It is much more compact and densely foliated than the species, with pale gray green, round fleshy leaves edged with a thin red line. During the summer, vertical stalks rise above the foliage and end with bell-shaped, dangling orange flowers. It does best in full sun in coastal areas and needs afternoon shade in warm inland areas. After established, it does best with occasional summer watering but otherwise, drought tolerant. Leaves can poison goats and sheep. A great plant for containers.
Common name:Elephant's Food, Elephant Bush
Botanical name:Portulacaria afra
This interesting succulent has an irregular growth habit. Depending on pruning and cold, Elephant's Food can be grown as a groundcover or shrub to 12' tall and wide. Plants work very well in containers, and can be used indoors or outdoors. It is drought tolerant but needs some protection from frost. It does best with some shade in most arid climates; otherwise, it tolerates full sun. This plant is a native of South Africa. Tiny lavender flowers bloom in summer only if the winter has been dry; not much irrigation needed for this plant.
Common name:Manna Gum
Botanical name:Eucalyptus viminalis
Attractive large tree tolerant of drought when established. Bark is shed in ribbons during summer, leaving upper trunk and branches smooth and white. The base of the trunk remains bark-coated. Reliable coppicer providing good fuelwood. Provides good tall shelter on dry exposed sites. Cream flowers from January-May. Great for bees. Evergreen. Moderately frost tolerant.
Common name:Giant Red Aeonium
Botanical name:Aeonium arboreum 'Cyclops'
This beautiful tall succulent has rosettes of dark reddish-bronze leaves on stems to 4 to 5 feet tall. Plant in full coastal sun to light shade in a well drained soil and irrigate occasionally. It should be cold hardy to about 25° F.
Common name:Ghost Aloe
Botanical name:Aloe striata 'Ghost Aloe'
Chiseled, triangular leaves form ghostly colored rosettes up to 1.5 feet across and never exceeding 8" tall. The frosty, light colored leaves pick up an interesting amethyst tint when dry or during cool winter temperatures. Its winter/early spring blossoms will startle you with brilliant orange flowers suspended 2ft above the plant on tall candelabra stems. Pups or offshoots, form around the base of the mother plant, eventually producing nice clumps of up to 3 feet across. Full sun to part shade, very salt tolerant at ocean-side locations, does well from regular garden watering to very water-wise.
Photographer: GardenSoft
Incorporate compost 6" into your soil to retain water, reduce compaction, feed earthworms, and provide valuable nutrients to your plants.
Check your irrigation controller once a month, and adjust as necessary.
Most plants require only one-third as much water in winter as they do in summer.
Drip and other smart irrigation delivers water directly to roots, allowing no excess water for weeds.