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Bushy, low-growing Aeonium hybrid with many rosettes to about 6-8 inches each in a hemispherical mound about 2-3 feet wide. Green color with red accents (the "blushing" part) in late spring/early summer. This Catlin hybrid is Zwartkop x canariense and lives for a long time in the garden due to the prolific branching. Released as ISI 92-27.

Very large reddish purple-leaved Aeonium hybrid which grows to 3-4 feet tall plus flowers and usually branches. Parentage is "Zwartkop" x undulatum, sister seedling to "Voodoo", bred by Jack Catlin. Best color in full sun. Released as ISI 95-11. This plant slows way down in summer, especially in the landscape, especially in dry summer climates.

Distinctively dark purple-leaved Aeonium cultivar which branches and can grow to 3 feet tall or so, plus flowers. Best color in full sun. Like all Aeoniums, this plant is a winter grower (active from fall though spring) and it rests in summer. It demands the absolute maximum amount of natural light to be viable as a house plant (a position right in front of a sunny window) and almost always does better outside, climate permitting.

This plant, whose name means "black head" in Dutch, has been labeled with a variety of misspellings including the name in German. It is a parent of various outstanding hybrids bred and selected by Jack Catlin, including "Cyclops" and "Voodoo" (with undulatum); "Zwartkin" and "Jack Catlin" (with tabuliforme); "Blushing Beauty", "Plum Purdy" and "Velour" (with canariense). "Zwartkop" is also a parent of "Cabernet" (with simsii).

Island endemic from the foggy northern part of Cedros Island off the Pacific coast of Baja California about a third of the way down the peninsula. Very distinctive fat, glaucous leaves and often a branching/clumping habit. Described in 1981and found in remote rocky areas; despite this, wild population affected by poaching. Provide excellent drainage and strong light in cultivation. Prone to rot if overwatered or given insufficient drainage.

Released as ISI 98-40 in 1998.

Solitary, stemless aloe with erect, often incurved leaves that have white spots and turn various colors of orange/red/brown with exposure and drought.

Found on both sides of the Orange River, which runs between Namibia and South Africa in a winter rainfall climate with frequent fog. The species name derives from the Khoi word for this river, which means "great river". It is a representative endemic of the Gariep Center of the Succulent Karoo, a region shared with several other aloes: A. erinacea, pearsonii, pillansii, ramosissima, krapohliana var. dumoulinii, striata ssp. karasbergensis, among others. The Gariep Center is also home to the greatest diversity of ice plants (Aizoaceae).

Drought tolerant and ideally suited to dry Mediterranean climate gardens. May be a robust regional form of the widespread A. microstigma, which has shorter floral bracts. Like microstigma, it is susceptible to the aloe mite. Some plants may form small clumps.

The Mexican blue fan palm is a native of central-northern Baja California and is found in arroyos and canyon bottoms, often growing alongside Washingtonias, where there is water below the surface. Slow growing to about 50 feet after many years. Enjoys extreme exposure. Tolerates drought, heat, and some cold. Will naturalize in a dry winter-rainfall climate like California or northern BC. Bright glaucous blue leaves make this a very pretty ornamental. Creamy yellow flowers appear on long, drooping inflorescences in late winter. Very sensitive to transplant, even from a container to the ground, so handle the roots with caution when planting.

South African succulent Euphorbia. Probably the most common of the medusoid Euphorbias in cultivation. Like the other ones, it grows a central "head" with many "arms" (the venomous snakes of Greek mythology) radiating outward around it. The stem may grow a few inches high and wide, the total width of the plant up to a foot or more in strong light. Not a great choice for low light situations (the arms grow weak and long, sprawling all over). Yellow flowers. May be self fertile. Easy to grow from offsets or from seed. May blush red in direct sun. Extremely photogenic when grown right.

Single-stemmed tree aloe from Madagascar to 8-10 feet tall (var. poissonii to 16 feet). Channeled green leaves and multibranched inflorescences with red flowers in winter. Vigorous grower, attractive garden plant. Compare to A. vaotsanda (more recurved leaves and oblique branches on inflorescences).

Common, variable South African single-stemmed tree aloe to 10 feet tall (or more). Winter flowers are exceptional: tall, dense racemes on multibranched inflorescences. They may be red, orange, yellow, rarely white. They attract bees and birds but are mostly pollinated by birds. The Natal form of this plant (described as A. candelabrum) has been subsumed into ferox.

Very easy to confuse with Aloe marlothii, and to a lesser extent africana, when not in flower. A. marlothii inflorescences usually have sideways branches and the flowers are always secund (oriented in one direction, usually up). A. ferox racemes are cylindrical and the flowers are arranged symmetrically all around the flower stem. The leaves on marlothii are usually spinier, and marlothii is usually bigger, but these features are not useful for a firm ID because both species are sufficiently variable to provide plenty of exceptions.

Once they reach a good size (3 gallon container) these plants can take day-long sun in mild climates. They will look and grow best with lots of sun. Leave the petticoat of dead leaves on the base of the plant for a more natural look. Remove dead inflorescences when they dry up and let go at the base.

Used to produce medicinal extracts derived from the juice from the leaves, which are said to have various curative properties.

Single-stemmed South African tree aloe to about 6 feet tall, often found in sandy locations just above sea level. May be best suited to coastal gardens. Can be identified by channeled, recurved leaves and very dense racemes of yellow-orange flowers, like bottle brushes, on branched inflorescences. Even the seed leaves are channeled. Seedlings are quick to reach landscape size (2 years to 3 gallon size) in a mild coastal climate.

Compare to A. alooides (unbranched inflorescence) and A. angelica (larger, with much shorter subcapitate racemes); related to A. rupestris (less recurved, channeled leaves).

Canary Islands tree which may grow to imposing proportions and live for hundreds of years, given just the right spot. Relatively common in cultivation in mild climates. Drought tolerant. Enjoys extreme exposure and good drainage. Suitable as a container plant when young, given strong light. A single head may reach about 3-4 feet wide. Leaves are shed from the bottom of rosettes during normal growth as the stem extends. Different populations exist with varying features.

Flowers appear after a few years (sometimes at just a couple of feet tall, up to 6-10 feet) and plants stop growing new leaves until the show is done, but then branch afterwards. May be self fertile. Fruit (an orange berry) is highly edible to birds and mammals. Young seedlings are fast growing and quick to become independent.

One of the sources of dragon's blood, a red resin, but not an original source from ancient times (the closely related D. cinnabari from Socotra was used by the Romans). There are also populations of D. draco in Cape Verde and on the mainland. Common name in Spanish is drago.

Exotic Socotran endemic, related to the Canary Island dragon tree D. draco (which is orders of magnitude more common in cultivation). It is hard to distinguish very young plants of the two species, but the stem on cinnabari is much thicker once it is a few inches tall.

Grows fabulous wide canopies with advanced age. Enjoys extreme exposure. Drought tolerant. Experiences regular fog in habitat.

One of a few trees that make a red resin called dragon's blood, which has been collected by humans for millennia. This species makes the "true" dragon's blood used by the Romans, and traded along with resins from Boswellia and Commiphora (aka frankincense and myrrh). It is actually closer genetically to D. serrulata (the Arabian dragon tree) than it is to the similar looking D. draco.

Notes on the species name: cinnabar is a red ore containing mercury sulfide. It was the historic source of vermillion pigment and is the principal source of elemental mercury.

SW Madagascar's equivalent of the related Pachycormus (elephant tree) from Baja California. Up to 20-30 feet tall in the ground. Interesting bonsai subject, long-lived container plant. Will keep its shiny leaves for most or all of the year in mild climates. Seed-grown plants have a much better form than plants started from cuttings. Tuberous roots can be raised for display.

Open-flowered, branching Dudleya with long green leaves that are round in cross section (terete) and shaped roughly like a pencil. Flowers are white. This was the type species of the old Stylophyllum group of open-flowered Dudleyas, which was named after the aforementioned pencil. Found from Orange County to just SW of Santo Tomas in Baja California. This species was named for the edible leaves (best enjoyed young and fresh after a few winter rains). Generally found near the coast but also up to 3000 feet, in sand, rocks, or cracks in the rock on sheer rock faces, often in areas with lots of fog. Enjoys excellent drainage in cultivation. Branches by division of the growth point into two, and can form small mounds about a foot in diameter with several rosettes. Flowers may be slightly fragrant.

Released as ISI 287 in 1959.

Exceptionally variable and widespread coastal species whose range spans from Santa Barbara southward to Punta Banda in Baja California. May be solitary (in which case the rosette is often larger, sometimes up to 18 inches) or branch profusely. Dwarf forms may have rosettes measuring 1 inch. Flowers are tubular and usually orange to red, but may also be yellow, purplish-red and very rarely green. Some rosettes may be easy to confuse with the larger D. brittonii, which is found toward the south of lanceolata's range.

Spiny Madagascar succulent which will grow to the height of a tree, roughly like a telephone pole with occasional branches. This genus, mostly from the southwestern spiny forest, behaves like the New World ocotillos (Fouquieria spp.). Both have deciduous leaves, spiny whip-like stems, and showy flowers on the end of those stems.

In cultivation this Alluaudia may or may not enter winter dormancy (spines near the tips are greenish and rubbery soft during active growth), depending on conditions. When in active growth, water it like a tree, not a cactus. Seriously underpotting will retard growth several fold. Provide excellent drainage and repot in spring or when new growth is evident. May be forced to branch by beheading. Cuttings can be easily rooted.

One of two species in the strange former Mexican genus Calibanus, which has been merged with Beaucarnea based on DNA evidence. Both grow a wide, low, woody stem (the "boulder" of the epithet) topped and hidden by tufts of long, wiry, grass-like leaves. The leaves may have fine serrations which are more evident by touch than by sight.

A bit messy in appearance and very slow to reach its full potential size.

A note on grooming. This is a scrappy looking plant and any attempt to make it look perfect will meet with failure. That said, it's a good idea to go through and remove dead leaves every year or so (just pull one at a time, with a bit of lateral movement). If the base of a leaf is green, leave it. Photos of this plant with no dead leaf parts showing are the product of much scissor work or aggressive leaf removal.

Separate male and female individuals. Hypogeal germination. Plants may branch as early as 6 months and form a caudex of 1-2 inches after a year. They may fill a 3 gallon (10 inch) pot in their third year and may flower at 10 years or less. Wait several years to display the caudex. However, given time, an exposed caudex will tend to develop the rough surface texture that makes old habitat plants spectacular. Hollows in the caudex, a nice protected area, often support animal life in nature.

The interesting hybrid "Lotusland" (named after its place of origin) may be with Beaucarnea recurvata and has an intermediate phenotype.

Clumping columnar green Euphorbia. This former species was placed under Euphorbia polygona in 2013. Red cyathia, spineless stems, and horizontal banding. Only known from cultivation. Edible to hares, unlike some other polygonas.

This variable South African columnar succulent, which may be globose when young, resembles a cactus. Forms in cultivation tend to offset a lot over time near the base. They are easy, rewarding plants in cultivation given excellent drainage and strong light. They are excellent subjects for photography of the stem and especially the cyathia.

E. polygona has absorbed E. horrida (green cyathia) and E. anoplia (red cyathia), the latter now a variety. With the merging of E. horrida there are now a number of other varieties associated with E. polygona, trying to account for the natural variability. 12-20 ribs, stems to 5-6 feet tall (usually much less in cultivation). Cyathia are red to dark purple or yellow-green to green, fruit is furry.

To favor a more solitary growth habit and/or a larger main stem, remove offsets regularly. If propagation is your aim, do this when they are still small (so they're not all packed in together and hard to separate), but after they have grown roots so they are independent when they are separated. Stem cuttings can also be easily rooted. Avoid any contact with the white sap (extreme irritant), and wait a week or more after breaking up a clump to water.

In my experience these plants vary in their resistance to herbivores. E. polygona var. anoplia is edible to hares but var. polygona is not; hybrids of the two are edible to rodents.

The medially variegated 'Starburst' is a partial reversion of the marginally variegated 'Sunburst'. Similar looking plants have arisen more than once and may go by various alternate names, but they share the basic pattern (if not the extent) of the variegation. 'Starburst' is about the same size as 'Sunburst', though it appears to be more prone to reversion to an all-green plant.