Giant Chalk Dudleya

Giant Chalk Dudleya Care

Dudleya brittonii

What is the plant

Dudleya brittonii, with the common names Britton's dudleya and giant chalk dudleya, is a succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is native to Mexico and cultivated as an ornamental plant in well-drained rock gardens and as a potted succulent.

The 'silver dollar plant' (Dudleya brittonii) is a solitary, succulent plant in which the stem terminates in a rosette of slender leaves densely covered with a white, waxy coating (farina). However plant may sometimes be found without its grey, waxy coating (farina), but these plants are not as popular. It makes neat, compact plants with juicy, spatulate leaves of a watery sea-green colour, covered by waxy bloom. Flower stems are bright red and very showy combined with the starry, pink-bracted yellow or orange flowers above. As the plants mature, the old dead leaves hang on and form a rough "tutu" on the main stem. It is the most common in cultivation, resembles a chalky gray echeveria (Dudleya pulverulenta), but Dudleya brittonii grows larger, eventually forming a solitary rosette 50 cm in diameter.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

min 9a

Difficulty

Easy

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Dudleyas are summer-dormant winter growers that require no summer water - even though they may appear drought stressed because their outer leaves dry and curl inward. Provide water in spring and autumn. In the summer the roots are unable to absorb the water so any excess of water simply rots them because of their dormant state.
Fertilizer
Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer during the period of growth.
Sunlight
It requires ample sun, but provide midday shade where summers are hot. The quality of light is much more important than the quantity, the plants contain farinose powder which makes them really effective for ultraviolet reflectivity. Low light situations might be stressful and create a susceptibility to mealy bug infestation.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
They do best in very well-drained, sandy or gravely soil. As an ornamental it is also grown in containers where it stays smaller than its outdoor brethren. In pots they need a very porous mix soil (e.g. 2 parts peat moss to 1 part loam to 1 part of pumice).
Temperature
The plant is hardy to around 15ºF or slightly below. It won`t survive extended periods of cold weather.
Container
If growing inside, choose any type of container with enough drainage holes.