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Dudleya brittonii
Also called Giant Chalk Dudleya
Britton's Dudleya is a large, chalky white-rosetted succulent from coastal northwest Baja California, Mexico, grown as a rock garden or pot plant. The key to growing it is very sharp drainage and bright sun, with dry conditions most of the year.
Dudleya brittonii is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae commonly known as Britton's liveforever or giant chalk dudleya. It is endemic to a small coastal area of far northern Baja California, Mexico, growing on volcanic rocks and soils. One of the largest members of the genus Dudleya, this species is characterized by its white rosettes, covered in a chalky wax that has highest measured ultraviolet reflectivity reported from any plant, and in spring it develops large reddish inflorescences topped with yellowish flowers.
Dudleya brittonii forms a species complex with two other species, Dudleya josedelgadilloi and Dudleya reidmoranii, with the latter two considered historically synonymous with D. brittonii, but differing in their lack of the white wax and distinct inflorescence characteristics and phenology.
Dudleya brittonii is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in well-drained rock gardens and as a potted succulent.
It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. In temperate climates it is normally grown under glass in cactus compost. However it can be placed outdoors in a sheltered, sunny spot during the summer months.
Dudleya brittonii occurs from extreme northwest Baja California from La Misión south to the vicinity of Eréndira and on the island of Todos Santos. The glaucous, white form inhabits the bluff faces and steep slopes, whilst the green form inhabits rocky areas away from bluffs and the flat slopes of talus and soil below bluffs. Development along the Baja California coast is imperiling the species.
Abrams' liveforever · San Bernardino Mountains liveforever · Limestone dudleya · Dudleya cymosa subsp. costatifolia · Abrams' liveforever · Vizcaino liveforever · White-flowered liveforever · Todos Santos liveforever · Anthony's Liveforever · Arizona Chalk Dudleya · Tapertip liveforever · Blochman's liveforever
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Dudleya brittonii by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
