Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Dudleya farinosa is a succulent plant known by several common names, including bluff lettuce, powdery liveforever, and powdery dudleya. This dudleya is variable in appearance from drab to spectacular. It grows from a branching caudex and forms a basal rosette of wide, pointed, spade-shaped leaves, each up to about six centimeters across. The leaves are generally very pale green but they often have edges or tips of bright colors, particularly bright reds. The plant erects a tall stem which is pale green with pink or red tinting, atop which it bears a branching flower cluster with many pale to bright yellow flowers. This plant is native to the coastline of Oregon and northern California, where it is commonly found on bluffs and coastal hillsides. One specialized habitat in which D. farinosa is found is the Monterey Cypress forests at Point Lobos and Del Monte Forest in Monterey County, California.

This is a beautiful plant with striking red foliage in the dry season. Easy to grow in coastal environments, just make sure it's place in very well draining soils in either full sun or part shade. It's often grown in pots and is a great choice for rock walls. Dudleya farinosa is an important hummingbird plant along the coast in its natural range.

Plant type

Perennial herb, Succulent

Size

4 - 8 in Tall
8 - 12 in Wide

Form

Mounding

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Semi-deciduous

Calscape icon
Color

Red, Yellow, Pink, Green

Flowering season

Summer

Special uses

Containers

Sun

Deep Shade, Partial 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, very well draining rocky slopes.
Soil PH: 6 - 7

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones

5, 7, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Sea cliffs and bluffs

Plant communities

Coastal Sage Scrub, Northern Coastal Scrub

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