Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Chalk dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta) is a perennial succulent that grows from southern Monterey County to Baja California. Its leaves are wide, flat, and pale-green, and they form a rosette. In winter and spring, chalky, waxy stems emerge and give rise to flower clusters. The clusters open into many pointy, rosy-red flowers that hummingbirds love.

Chalk dudleya needs well-draining soil and looks great in containers, on rocky slopes, or in rock walls. Its rosette doesn't like pooling water, so plant it at an angle. This plant goes partially dormant in summer, with only a tiny area in its middle that appears alive.

Chalk dudleya is susceptible to aphid infestations, which can cause flower and rosette deformities. It openly hybridizes with several other species.

Plant type

Perennial herb, Succulent

Size

4 - 12 in Tall
1 ft Wide

Form

Spreading

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Deciduous

Fragrance

None, Slight

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Color

Red, Orange, Pink

Flowering season

Summer, Spring

Special uses

Containers, Deer resistant

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Very Low, Low

Summer irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil description

Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as rocks are added and some slope is provided.
Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Maintenance

Pruning should be limited to removing spent stalks.

Propagation

Propagation by seed is difficult, as the seed is very fine and dust-like. For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones

14, 15, 16, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Steep rocky slopes and rocky walls in chaparral or coastal sage scrub

Plant communities

Chaparral, Coastal Scrub, Lowland Chaparral, Maritime Desert Scrub, Oak Woodland, Southern Coastal Scrub, Southern Oak Woodland

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