Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Dudleya caespitosa is a succulent plant known by several common names, including sealettuce, sand lettuce, and coast dudleya. It is endemic to California, where it grows along the coastline from San Francisco to Los Angeles. This dudleya starts from a rosette up to 20 centimeters wide, containing up to 30 leaves. The leaves are fleshy, pale green, and cone-shaped to oblong, one or two centimeters wide and almost a centimeter thick. The stem is a caudex which grows erect up to about 20 centimeters in height before branching into the flower cluster. Its color is variable, from green to red and yellow shades. At the top is a tall flower cluster which may hold 10 or 15 flowers on each of several branches. The flowers are bright yellow with pointed petals. References:Dudleya and Hassenthaus Handbook, Paul Thompson 1993

Plant type

Perennial herb, Succulent

Size

4 - 8 in Tall
4 - 6 in Wide

Form

Spreading

Dormancy

Summer Semi-deciduous

Calscape icon
Color

Red, Yellow

Flowering season

Spring, Summer

Special uses

Containers, Groundcover

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade, Deep Shade

Water

Low, Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 25 - 30° F

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Rocky cliffs.
Soil PH: 5 - 7

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones

9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Site type

Coastal cliffs

Hummingbirds
Birds
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 3 likely

Confirmed Likely

Orange Tortrix Moth

Argyrotaenia franciscana

Moss' Elfin

Callophrys mossii

Sonoran Blue

Philotes sonorensis