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Dudleya pulverulenta
Chalk dudleya is one of the largest Dudleya species, forming a silvery, waxy succulent rosette that grows on rocky cliffs and in canyons near the coast. The key to growing it is sharp drainage and full sun, as it is a much hardier garden plant than most Dudleya.
Dudleya pulverulenta is a species of perennial succulent plant known by the common names chalk lettuce, chalk dudleya, and chalk liveforever. It is one of the largest Dudleya, with a silvery, waxy rosette that may greatly contrast with its habitat. It is also regarded as one of the most distinctive members of the Dudleya, with one of the most specialized inflorescences in the genus, adapted to hummingbird pollination through its red pendent flowers, the longest corolla, and the highest nectar output. Dudleya pulverulenta has the largest range of all Dudleya, over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi), being found from southern Monterey County in California to the Sierra de San Borja in southern Baja California.
The plant tolerates full sun exposure or part shade. It is susceptible to aphid infestations which result in flower and rosette deformities. It is a much hardier plant for the garden environment than the more commonly available Dudleya brittonii.
Dudleya pulverulenta is not noted for its longevity and may only live up to 2 or 3 years in cultivation, but some specimens in the wild may be over 40 years old in a most optimal location. When the plant dies, the rosette takes on a withered, ashy gray appearance, resembling a bird's nest. A dormant plant will often surround a few live leaves with a ring of withered leaves until the next growing season pushes them down.
Dudleya pulverulenta is native to California and Baja California. Its range extends from extreme southern Monterey County southward to Punta Prieta in the central desert of Baja California. It is typically found in rocky cliffs, and canyons, generally under 1000 meters in elevation. It is primarily a plant of coastal distribution and can often be found within 12 miles of the coast, and more inland occurrences are typically in valleys where the heat is moderated by elevation or coastal influence.
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 pulverulenta 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.
