Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · 2d

Thanks David!

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · 2d

A small (2”-3”) Haworthia along a garden path in early October. Unfortunately, it’s not labeled but from the size and leaf characteristics it appears to be a herbacea or reticulata. The distinctive bright yellow bloom makes an outsized statement in the garden. 🌱 #succulents

Howarthia with a yellow bloom tucked between small boulders. This is the second time I've noticed it blooming over the past half dozen years. It's hardy to at least 30 degrees, has no problem with our heavy winter rains.

3 2 33

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Sep 15

Absolutely, Stapelia gigantea. Part of the nearby planting from years ago which I misidentified as a Euphorbia flanaganii years ago.
I'll need to move this to a more prominent location in the garden 🙂.

1

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Sep 15

Found this striking, 2-3” solitary volunteer growing in a lightly irrigated area partially shaded by a Toyon and tucked amidst Mangave, Agave and Euphorbia. Has coloring similar to Haworthia or Gastor-Aloe but the stem is not stout more like a flower stem, perhaps some NorCal native? 🌱 #succulents

Small unidentified plant or flower spotted brown with a yellow background growing in rocky, well-draining soil. In the top left corner of the photo is a Euphorbia flanaganii. The leaves are from a toyon.

5 4 69

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Aug 21

South facing succulent gardens refreshed as part of a hillside erosion diversion creek project. Notable foreground plantings are Yucca Bright Stars pressed against an Agave Ocahu, and a San Pedro Cactus. In the background are Lomandra, Phormium and Opuntia, Acer palmatum... 🌱 #succulents

Summer dry creek bed and gardens along a hillside driveway. To the right and above is a deck and the creek bed runs along the driveway, The creek is spanned by several small wooden pathways. During the rainy season storms the creek handles water from an under-house sump pump, gutters and the hillside above. In the foreground, to the right is a minimally irrigated succulent garden. In the far background is a glimpse of live oaks and the valley in the distance.

1 1 24

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jul 15

This Crassula ovata 'Gollum' was part of an assorted succulent pack planted in an inconspicuous partly sunny location 6 years ago. It’s thrived through the extremes of unusually heavy winter rains and last summer’s persistent heat waves. Today it’s about 2.5 ft tall and wide. 🌱 #succulents

Pictured is a Crassula ovata 'Gollum' (Gollum Jade), rising above a variety of smaller succulents (mostly Kalanchoe). In the background are the fronds of an Australian Tree Fern and the blurry trunk of a Live Oak. This Crassula features grey bark marked by dark rings and leaves that are tubular with cup-like tips. This plant is about 2.5 feet high and wide.

2 29

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · May 8

Trichocereus 'Sun Goddess' flowering (~5" diameter) between boulders, euphorbia, cactus and Equisetum hyemale (horsetail) 🌱 #succulents

2 1 33

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · May 7

Abundant diversity bordering this path - succulents to tree ferns / Japanese maples / Palms and Live Oaks. After 25 years of experimenting finally settled on a selection of plants that offer seasonal interest and minimal regular maintenance. (5/5/2025)
🌱 #succulents

Patio Path leading to backyard garden. The pathway is composed of Flagstone with railroad tie steps and is bordered by field stone. Most prominent on the left side of the path are Agave attenuata 'Ray of Light’, several fine leaved red Japanese maples / frond of an Australian Tree Fern poking out above the top left maple. On the right side of the path are succulents with a variety of Aloes, Agaves and even a Gastoria maculata which is somewhat rare in our area. Toward the top of the steps are Queen and Phoenix roebelenii (dwarf date) Palms. In the background are live oak and a Crepe myrtle.

2 3 32

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · May 4

The ‘pump shed garden’ conceived and planted winter-spring ’25 and designed around 3 yucca rostradas, a Bismarckia palm, an Agave 'Hakuro Shiro Fukurin’ , an Agave vilmoriniana and a Mangave "Kaleidoscope". To be renamed the ‘garden of relief’ when we are rid of the shambolic regime.
🌱 #succulents

3 yucca rostradas, a Bismarckia palm, an Agave 'Hakuro Shiro Fukurin’ , an Agave vilmoriniana, a Mangave "Kaleidoscope" (colorful plant in the foreground) and numerous filler Aloes. There is a stone path bordering on the left and a rock dry stream garden divide using local field stone and Noiyo cobbles (runns left to right in the center(
There is also a pump house in the upper center bamboo bordering in the upper right.

4 1 36

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Mar 30

A volunteer Aeonium arboreum - 3” tall and wide growing on a moss covered (1/2-3/4” thick) boulder. Thought maybe I'd stuck it in there last summer but then discovered another smaller Aeonium sprouting elsewhere in the same moss. 🌱 #succulents

Aeonium arboreum, purple with a lime green core, 3” tall and wide growing on a bright green moss covered boulder. The area is mostly in dappled light.

1 52

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Mar 24

Yea, a lot of kalanchoes prefer zone 10 (30-40 deg minimum) and above. The fedtschenkoi is one that handles temp dips into mid and upper 20s and has proven to thrive even with an occasional light freeze

1

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Mar 23

Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi (lavender leaf plant, floriferous, bryophyllum) - A robust and easily grown succulent in zone 9-11 gardens, nice blooms and the leaves turn lavender when the plant is stressed. It’s proliferated throughout our garden but it’s not a pest, easily controlled. 🌱 #succulents

This photo taken 03/2025 is of a blooming Kalanchoe fedtschenko growing over a boulder in our backyard garden. The flowers are pink to red and the leaves are light green to lavender.

1 51

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Mar 10

Morning light, temp in the 40s, woke.
Left to right Agave vilmoriniana (Octopus Agave), Bismarckia nobilis palm, Agave 'Hakuro Shiro Fukurin’ 🌱 #succulents

In the foreground are 2 Agaves (Agave vilmoriniana 'Octopus Agave' and Agave 'Hakuro Shiro Fukurin’). In the rear is a recently planted Bismarkia nobilis fan palm.

26

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Mar 5

March 2025. I’ve been removing the Woodsorrel (Oxalis) and doing light cleanup in this garden. The multi-stalked, magnificent (almost full) bloomer is Aloe Taurus. Also noteworthy are the Agaves Blue Glow and Blue Flame which are great companions. Other plants mentioned in the Alt Txt 🌱 #succulents

This garden is a mounded Noyo cobble rock garden. The mound is a mix of amended loam and succulent mix. The garden is encircled by oaks, a naval orange, pittosporum, Photinia, paths and other gardens. It was originally planted from 5 gallon plants obtained from Seaside Growers Nursery - about 475 miles south of our home in Sonoma County. The garden is full sun mid summer but otherwise lightly shaded with dappled light in winter.

3 1 26

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Feb 15

Aloe glauca (Blue Aloe), mid summer 2023. It prefers full sun (part-sun in warmer valley locations). This aloe is somewhat stressed beneath a Live Oak which is periodically messy with leaf drops (early spring) and sap (late summer). It receives dappled summer sun. Very hardy. 🌱 #succulents

This photo is of an Aloe glauca against a background of field stone and Noya cobbles. The leaves are green to dark grey-blue with orange teeth along the leaf margin bed of field.

2 44

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Feb 3

Our backyard succulent gardens are planted on a gentle incline while in the front yard the slope is more pronounced. This view is from a front deck last Dec. The large palm is a Canary Island Date Palm. This area remains unfenced. a wildlife corridor. 🌱 #succulents

Southfacing view of our front plantings which include a large Phoenix Cariensis (Canary Island Date Palm), Trachycarpus fortunei (Windmill palm) and in the foreground a yucca and cactus at the bottom.

4 8 96

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 26

Aloe brevifolia growing amidst our regular winter clover. The brevifolia is zone 8 hardy. This plant with it's clumping offsets is about 8” wide and 6” tall. The garden location is part sun so the Aloe’s green-blue color is year round. In sunny locations it will take on a reddish tint. 🌱 #succulents

This photo was taken in Jan '25. The Aloe brevifolia (centered) is green to blue in color and has spikes around the leaves. Surrounding the plant is our winter crop of clover.

45

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 21

This camellia is ~15’ tall X 10’ wide, planted in full sun, clay soil and only receives water from winter rains. It's always a vigorous bloomer Dec-Jan. This year a little late but with even more flowers than usual. 🌱

This photo taken Jan 20th at our home in Sonoma County features a 15 foot tall camellia blooming with pink to red flowers. Surrounding the tree are Black and Live Oaks along with several Windmill Palms.

1 23

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 10

An Aloe striata situated along the top of a rock wall. Hardy into the mid 20s. This striata receives a dash of late afternoon so the plant’s appearance is slightly less robust than others in sunnier garden spots. Even so, it has nice color and is staying put. 🌱 #succulents

Aloe Striata atop a rock wall. The plant has green to slightly blue leaves (maybe due to insufficient sun exposure) with a red stripe that runs along the leaf margin. It is about 2 feet wide and a foot tall.

12

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 7

This morning … a bowl of Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg’. Above. To the right, embedded along the rock wall, are Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' and an Oscularia (ice plant) splayed along the top most boulder. Behind are several varieties of Mangave and Aloe. 🌱 #succulents

Sunlit AM garden photo: a bowl of Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg’ (center bottom) grayish to purple with pink highlights. Behind and to the right are Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' with bronze to pink succulent leaves embedded in a rock wall and a light green Oscularia splayed across a boulder. Also in the photo are assorted Mangave in pots and in the distant rear are oaks.

1 30

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 6

May of 2016 Oscularia deltoides flanked by a Aeonium arboreum(?) both potted. Regarding the name 'Oscularia' … my high school Latin was of no help. I was less than attentive as a student (apologies to Mrs Augustitus, my Latin teacher). A lesson on the naming in the Alt Image text. 🌱 #succulents

A Oscularia deltoides (ice plant) covered by pink flowers. Next to it is an Aeonium with about an 18" wide rosette. As for the Latin - from San Marcos Growers "The name Oscularia is Latin from the word 'osculum' meaning "little mouth" with 'oscularia' meaning "a collection of little mouths" in reference to the way the leaves appear as open mouths (teeth and all). The specific epithet comes from the Latin word for triangular in reference to the 3 angled leaves." And there is more if you're interested - https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=2625#:~:text=This%20plant%20smothers%20the%20ground,have%20small%2C%20often%20reddish%20teeth.

1 19

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 5

Thanks! Succulents offer so much in structure, texture and color, it keeps me engaged 🙂.

1

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 4

This Agave geminiflora has won the day. Years ago it was 'temporarily' placed along a walkway, never removed from its 3 gallon growers pot. Kept thinking it needed to be properly planted … somewhere. Meanwhile, it made some friends and took root. 🌱 #succulents

This is an Agave geminiflora about 2'X2' growing along a garden path. It's leaves are dark green, linear, somewhat flexible. Adjacent to the Agave are a variety of green to purple leaved succulents and landscape rocks.

4 10 76

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 3

Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' brightening up a patch of green Senecio. In our location it's been a vigorous grower generating many offsets. After a few years in-ground it's ~18” tall X 24” wide . At our zone 9b location it looks best with AM sun, PM shade. 🌱 #succulents

A top down photo of an Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' embedded within a patch of Senecio fingers. The leaves feature bright yellow margins with a pronounced green strips (dark - light) up the middle and are heavily armed with spikes along the edges. Hardy below 20 degrees, native to Mexico.

1 31

straybird @attenuata.bsky.social · Jan 1

In case anyone is wondering, VR in this case refers to "Vibration Reduction" not the other stuff 🙂...

1