View allAll Photos Tagged droughttolerant
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Mammillaria grahamii
Common Name(s): Arizona Fishhook Cactus, Black-Spined Pincushion, Fishhook Pincushion, Graham's Fishook, Lizard Catcher, Miller's Pincushion, Olive's Pincushion, Sunset Cactus
Synonym(s): Chilita grahamii, Mammillaria microcarpa, Chilita microcarpa, Ebnerella microcarpa, Mammillaria oliviae, Chilita oliviae, Ebnerella oliviae, Neomammillaria milleri, Chilita milleri, Mammillaria milleri
Native Habitat: Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora - Mexico : Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas -
United States
Flower: Pink, Purple, White
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Native to Southwest America and Northern Mexico, Fire Barrel Cactus is a striking drought-tolerant plant; suitable for xeriscaping. Thick curved spines make this plant a stand out. Yellow to red-orange flowers appear atop the fruit. The skin thickens with age, making older cacti more fire resistant.
Many cacti do not begin photosynthesis until the temperatures exceed 75 degrees F. Your cactus garden should receive more than half a day's worth of sunlight to stimulate flowering and growth. A bloom unpollinated during its first day may never get another chance. Many of the unprotected flowers becomes tidbits for the hungry critters active during the cool of the night. Cacti can be a fascinating blend of tough spines and delicate flowers, much like roses. Most of their stems have evolved to store water and the spines are actually modified leaves to protect the plant from foraging animals, provide some shade and protect against water loss as it evaporates from the plants tissues.
When the first European botanists first encountered these plants, they were bizarre and previously unknown in the Old World. They applied the Greek word, kaktos meaning 'thistle'. The demand for cacti was immediate. Today, collectors annually strip tons of cacti from North and South American deserts to sell in souvenir shops and nurseries. With many species now threatened or nearly extinct, we are loving our native cacti to death. As principle, make sure the cactus you buy wasn't collected from the countryside. They belong in nature too!
Encinitas, Southern California Summer 2010
Drought-tolerant plants from our Fall Plant Sale, Oct. 24–26, 2014.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
All rights reserved.
Kalanchoe beharensis from Madagascar. Like most Kalanchoes it grows easy from leaf cuttings. The two on the side of the house receive some shade in the afternoon and seem to grow faster than the one I have in full sun.
Salvia nemerosa 'Snow Hill'
Spikes of white flowers appear over a long blooming season during the summer. Drought tolerant; plant has a tendency to flop if it gets too much water. Leaves smell like a dead skunk when touched.
August 2008
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Ferocactus latispinus
Common Name(s): Crow's Claw Cactus, Devil's Tongue Cactus
Synonym(s): Cactus latispinus, Bisnaga recurva, Cactus recurvus, Ferocactus recurvus, Cactus nobilis, Echinocactus spiralis, Echinocactus cornigerus, Bisnaga cornigera, Ferocactus nobilis
Native Habitat: Northern Mexico
Flower: Purple, Yellow
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Anybody recognize this Aeonium? In full sun the leaves curl in but they straighten out in more shade. It doesn't get very tall but has a diameter far larger than nearly any other Aeonium.
The Mother of Millions is keeping it company. A lady who visited from the East Coast referred to it as the "friendship plant" but some out here would consider it the complete opposite. I have around three varieties of it...it's not bad in very isolated pots.
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Parodia concinna
Common Name(s): Sun Cup Cactus
Synonym(s): Echinocactus cocinnus, Malacocarpus concinnus, Notocactus concinnus, Echinocactus joadii, Notocactus joadii, Echinocactus apricus, Notocactus apricus, Echinocactus caespitosus, Frailea caespitosa, Parodia caespitosa, Notocactus agnetae, Parodia concinna, Notocactus multicostatus, Notocactus blaauwianus, Parodia concinna, Notocactus eremiticus, Notocactus olimarensis, Notocactus gibberulus, Notocactus rubrigemmatus, Notocactus concinnioides
Native Habitat: Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil : Uruguay
Flower: Yellow
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Mammillaria krameri
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas - Mexico
Flower: Orange, Cream, White, often with brown or maroon stripes
Cultivar Availability: Unusual in Collections
R. Porch's Private Collection
I picked up this piggy at the thrift shop on Thursday, I added these succulents and he's as happy as a... well, you know.
Jason cut a bottle of XOCOVEZA MOCHA STOUT from Stone Brewery using his Kinkajou from Bottle Cutting inc.
He built a box on an upcycled frame and attached the bottle. It looks really awesome and celebrates our SoCal Craft Beer culture!
Each Sarah's SoCal Succulents design is unique and one of a kind, and we would be happy to make something for your living space.
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Family: Aizoaceae
Genus: Fenestraria rhopalophylla
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Pink, White
Cultivar Availability: Unusual in Collections
R. Porch's Private Collection
11 months later
Beth Chatto’s Dry Garden, Essex, England: The renowned plants-woman, Beth Chatto, turned an old gravel car park into a superb dry garden. This area of Essex has average rainfall less than 20 inches per annum. She has chosen drought tolerant plants that put on a splendid display in the poorest of soils. Her creative planting provides inspiration and shows what can be done in a garden that is never irrigated.
Dry Gardens in England: Interest in ‘dry’ gardens has grown considerably over the past few years. Although people often view England as a ‘green and pleasant land’ with plentiful rainfall, this is not always the case. The east of the country is much, much drier than the west and in recent years much of Eastern England was subject to a ban on using hosepipes for garden irrigation. Weather patterns in the country seem to be getting more extreme and in 1996 the annual rainfall in the East Anglia region was less than that in Jerusalem or Beirut! These changes in weather patterns have stimulated gardener’s interest in growing more drought tolerant plants - which never need irrigation.
Many of the plants suited to dry gardens, such as Giant Verbascums, Perennial Grasses and Euphorbias also provide the garden with bold architectural statements giving all year round interest. When they have finished flowering many drought tolerant plants have stems and seed heads which look good and hold up well even when the first frosts arrive.
The hardiness rating of many plants also seems to be extended in dry garden conditions too. In these conditions plants seem better able to tolerate the cold winters as long as their roots don’t get waterlogged .
So, dry gardens really offer many advantages – no irrigation, some great architectural plants, a long season of interest, better hardiness rating and relatively low maintenance too. The other bonus is that plants that are happy in these conditions will often self-seed and propagate freely. With all these benefits I am sure we will be seeing many more dry gardens in the UK in the coming years!
© 2014 ukgardenphotos
Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) One of the showier native prairie plants I introduced into my garden. It attracts pollinating insects I have only ever seen on this plant
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Echinomastus johnsonii var. lutescens
Common Name(s): Chartreuse Pineapple Cactus, Johnson's Pineapple Cactus, Pineapple Cactus, Pink Viznagita
Synonym(s): Echinocactus johnsonii, Ferocactus johnsonii, Thelocactus johnsonii, Neolloydia johnsonii, Sclerocactus johnsonii, Pediocactus johnsonii
Native Habitat: Arizona, California, Nevada - United States
Flower: Yellow
Cultivar Availability: Very Rare
R. Porch's Private Collection
Large purplish/green Aeonium. It's larger than other similar colored Aeoniums but doesn’t like to branch so I'm going to have to propagate this one from leaf cuttings before the last one flowers. The flower spike in the photo is past its prime but has lasted a really long time and is much larger than any other Aeonium flower spikes that I’ve seen.
Some thirty five+ years ago - during the first major drought since we've lived here - I planted three Martha Washington Geraniums in a 35 foot "bed" in our front yard. I stuck an old rusty metal sculpture about four feet from the last one, and I just let nature take its course. Well, Nature rewarded us (and Sammy the Snail) with 30 feet of geraniums from March through September every year. This is adobe soil, dirt that plants either love or hate. Sometimes I forget to water for a couple of weeks.
All I'm saying is that if you live in the hot coastal valleys of Northern California where the drought is at its worst for geographical, political, salinity, delta, and other reasons, and you still want some color, try the lowly geranium. We have some red ones in a pot that must feed off they own roots: a four foot geranium in a three-foot pot that is now 18 years old and gets perhaps a gallon of water every two weeks.
Anyway, all of you, enjoy this bit of unplanned colorful whimsey.
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Senecio scaposus
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s): Senecio vestitus
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Yellow
Cultivar Availability: Uncommon
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Aloaceae
Genus: Haworthia fasciata
Common Name(s): Fairies Washboard
Synonym(s):Haworthia fasciata subconfluens, Haworthia pumila fasciata, Haworthia fasciata major, Haworthia fasciata browniana, Haworthia browniana, Aloe fasciata minor, Aloe fasciata, Apicra fasciata, Aloe fasciata major
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Green, White
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Gymnocalycium horstii
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: Rio Grande do Sul - Brazil
Flower Color(s): Pink
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Aloaceae
Genus: Gasteria batesiana
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s): Gasteria carinata, Gasteria subverrucosa marginata, Gasteria transvaalensis
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower Color(s): Coral, Green, Orange, Red
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Gymnocalycium schickendantzii
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s): Echinocactus schickendantzii, Gymnocalycium michoga, Gymnocalycium antherostele
Native Habitat: Argentina
Flower: Red, White
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Haworthia turgida, native to Cape Province, South Africa, forms small rosettes with glassy green leaves with "crystalline" textures. Leaves are recurved at the tip, which is translucent and marked with green lines. Becomes reddish in strong light. Offsets freely to form small clusters quickly. Excellent for windowsill culture. Haworthias are winter growers and are dormant in the hottest summer months. Require very porous soil with excellent drainage as many forms have thickened tap roots. Prefer filtered, bright light. Those species with red veining or chocolate faces will exhibit superior color in bright light. All forms that are green, especially included the variegated forms, will prefer filtered light. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. Protect from frost.
There's plenty of snow in the Sierra Nevada, but California water officials say it falls short of the amount needed to replenish the state's reservoirs. Three dryer than normal winters in the Sierras, and state officials call it a drought. Hence the addition of plants like this Agave attenuata and other succulents added to my garden. The plant above resembles a large rose with tapered, soft green leaves that are thick and fleshy. My guess, the plant stores about 90% of it's weight in water. Huge flowers in excess of ten feet are produced in the summer.
The City of Los Angeles is promising severe water restrictions this May, limiting garden irrigation to two days a week. Trying to stay ahead of the curve here.
Family: Aloaceae
Genus: Haworthia minima
Common Name(s):
Synonym(s):
Native Habitat: South Africa
Flower: Green, White
Cultivar Availability: Uncommon
R. Porch's Private Collection
Digital original October 11, 2018, Walnut Creek, California USA.
Life is full of compromises; the sprinkler is part of the garden.
Full frame sensor, 50mm f1.4 lens, @f14, 1/80sec, iso200
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Disocactus flagelliformis
Common Name(s): Flor De Latigo, Floricuerno, Junco, Junquillo, Nopalillo, Rattail Cactus
Synonym(s): Cactus flagelliformis, Cereus flagelliformis, Aporocactus flagelliformis, Cereus leptophis, Aporocactus flagriformis
Native Habitat: Hidalgo, Oaxaca - Mexico
Flower: Pink, Red
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Family: Cactaceae
Genus: Echinopsis pachanoi
Common Name(s): San Pedro Cactus, Andachuma, Aguacolla, Giganton, Huachuma
Synonym(s):Trichocereus pachanoi
Native Habitat: Ecuador : Peru
Flower: White with Greenish accents
Cultivar Availability: Common
R. Porch's Private Collection
Thanks to Mondomuse for correctly identifying this low-growing, small-leafed succulent groundcover (and to Trader Joe's for carrying this plant, where I photographed it in one of their stores!). Anacampseros (ανακαμψερωϛ) is Greek for an ancient "herb said to restore lost love."
EXPLORE #496, Nov. 3, 2008
This was the first time I had ever seen this native plant species - White Evening Primrose. We came across quite a lot of these plants growing on the undulating hills at the Antelope Hill Provincial Park.
"Perennial wildflower with slightly toothed bluish-green basal leaves and 4-petalled large white flowers that fade to pink after pollination; night-blooming; blooms midsummer; wonderful fragrance!" From blackfootnativeplants.
www.blackfootnativeplants.com/white-evening-primrose-oeno...
Generosity comes in all shapes and sizes. On 30 July 2016, six of us from Calgary had the honour of meeting a 92-year-old gentleman who has lived most of his long life on a huge area (380 hectares, 939 acres) of beautiful land near Hanna, Alberta. Though Gottlob Schmidt (known as Schmitty) has now moved into town (Hanna), he is not far from his beloved land and still loves to spend a lot of time there. My friends and I understand why. This untouched land is not only beautiful to the eye, with its undulating hills with small, scattered pockets of Aspen woodland, but it also hides all sorts of natural treasures, including the wildlife that enjoys this native grassland. There are so few areas of native grassland left in Alberta, so each one is very precious. Schmitty told us that he has never seen his land looking so green! Perhaps not too surprising, as we have had so much rain recently, usually accompanied by thunderstorms. In fact, the rain started on our return journey to Calgary and I was driving from our meeting place back to my house in torrential rain. I found a good scattering of small hailstones covering my lawn, too.
This is where the word 'generosity' comes in. Two years ago, Schmitty donated all his land to Alberta Parks, along with certain strict regulations (listed on a link below) on how the land was to be used, such as no hunting, no camping, no motorized vehicles. He was very warmly recognized for his extreme generosity. The Park is known as Antelope Hill Provincial Park and, when Schmitty is no longer able to visit and enjoy his old, family homestead, the Park will be opened to the public. For now, it remains his own, private property.
The highlight for us was meeting Schmitty himself. I can only hope that I might be lucky enough to be in half his shape if I ever reached that age! It was an absolute delight to spend a little time with this man with the big heart, when we first arrived and again later in the day, when it was time for us to head back to Calgary. We also got to meet Schmitty's good neighbours, Donna and Ken.
www.albertaparks.ca/media/5788002/antelope-hill-pp-fact-s...
calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/you-can-thank-this-man-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIVVBdkoUVY&feature=youtu.be
My friends (specialists in mosses, lichens and liverworts and other things) and I, were given permission to spend the day there, to list all our findings. Our time was spent climbing one main hill and walking part way around it, calling in at several of the small areas of Aspen woodland. This is where we found a number of wonderful mushrooms - Amanita muscaria / Fly agaric. These were the other highlight for me! It is quite rare that we come across one of these Amanita muscaria mushrooms, and it is so exciting and such a treat when we do! Of course, it's just a "fungi nut" talking, ha. They are so attractive, especially at the earlier stage when the cap is like a round ball, covered in white flecks, but also poisonous (see photo in comment box below previous photo)!
"A large conspicuous mushroom, Amanita muscaria is generally common and numerous where it grows, and is often found in groups with basidiocarps in all stages of development. Fly agaric fruiting bodies emerge from the soil looking like a white egg, covered in the white warty material of the universal veil... Amanita muscaria poisoning occurs in either young children or people ingesting it to have a hallucinogenic experience... A fatal dose has been calculated at an amount of 15 caps. Deaths from this fungus A. muscaria have been reported in historical journal articles and newspaper reports. However, with modern medical treatment a fatal outcome because of the poison of this mushroom would be extremely rare."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria
Various plants were good to see, too, including about four Prairie Crocuses that were still in bloom. I hadn't seen Skeletonweed for a long time, but there were quite a few small clusters of it. A new plant to me was a tall one with white flowers - White Evening Primrose (seen in this photo). The occasional gorgeous wild Rose made a bright splash of colour, too.
Of course, for me, any visit to a ranch would not be complete without wandering by any old barn/shed/cabin. Another find was a beautiful, old, glass doorknob on one of the sheds.
On our return walk back to the cars, I suddenly spotted a huge, green caterpillar on the trail. A Tomato hornworm. It had been years since I saw any kind of huge, green larva and, though not my favourite things, I was glad to get a photo of it.
After a few hours of exploration, the only things that we were so happy and relieved to leave behind were the mosquitoes! Never had I seen so many of them - the air was filled with these tiny, blood-sucking insects that followed us every step of the way!
Thanks so much, Heide, for driving Sandy and myself all the way out there - about a two and three-quarter hour drive. Much of the distance was on the same roads that I had driven last week with my daughter, but this was the first time I had ever been as far as Hanna and just beyond. Hanna now has a Tim Horton's, opened around three months ago : ) Thanks, Heide, too, for trying to find the old railway roundhouse - unfortunate that there was too much construction in the area, so one can't get to the roundhouse. And thank you so much, Peter, for arranging and organizing this wonderful trip! Most importantly of all, our thanks to Schmitty, who so kindly allowed us to share the special land that he has called home for so many decades. Our thanks for allowing us to spend the day there and, even more importantly, thank you for your great gift to all Albertans, with your incredibly generous donation of Antelope Hill Provincial Park.
A Parodia leninghausii gets friendly with Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' rosettes. When I acquired the Zwartkop cuttings, there wasn't room to put them in any other pot, so the girls have learned to get along.
Four plants shot at the Jungle Nursery on Sawtelle Blvd. in Los Angeles. They have quite an impressive collection of succulents.
Hollyleaf Cherry, Prunus ilicifolia, evergreen shrub/small tree, lush growth, shiny leaves, white flowers, red fruit, drought tolerant.
Prunus illicifolia grows native here with wild grape & oak trees. Adding to the bounty of the forest, steelhead trout ran in the now dry creek a couple generations ago.
San Mateo Canyon Wilderness - Southern California
My garden has integrated more native plants the past couple years and I like the results. Persicaria Firetail coming into bloom in back, Rattlesnake Master and Culvers Root are the natives in front.
In the last year and a half we've been converting our garden to a more drought tolerant landscape. We now have a lot of succulents, and man of them are in bloom right now.
Strobist info: I put a YN560-II in a softbox behind the plant and to camera left at 11 o'clock for backlighting, and a YN560 in a softbox in front, camera right at 5 o'clock for fill light. Both strobes in manual mode were triggered by YNRF603-N triggers.
Other plants, flowers, fruit or thingys that I've photographed using strobes, can be seen in my Strobe Lit Plant set. In the description for that set, I list resources that I've used to learn how to light with off camera flash. www.flickr.com/photos/9422
If you like pictures of cactus and succulents, you might not hate my Cactus and Succulents set. That set can be seen here www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157633383093236/
Dry Gardens at RHS Hyde Hall, Essex, England: The dry garden is a key feature of RHS Hyde Hall - situated in an area of England with very low rainfall (e.g. 24” or less). Placed on a windswept hill, this part of the garden is a great example of drought tolerant planting with a wide array of plants from arid climates. Here the visitor will find Verbascums, Euphorbias, Alliums, Fennels, Phormiums, Echinopsis, Grasses, Lavenders, etc., all doing well in the English climate. Due to the high level of interest in drought tolerant plants the RHS have recently considerably extended the area of this dry garden. This new section is already starting to look interesting, but will probably take another couple of years to fully mature.
Dry Gardens in England: Interest in ‘dry’ gardens has grown considerably over the past few years. Although people often view England as a ‘green and pleasant land’ with plentiful rainfall, this is not always the case. The east of the country is much, much drier than the west and in recent years much of Eastern England was subject to a ban on using hosepipes for garden irrigation. Weather patterns in the country seem to be getting more extreme and in 1996 the annual rainfall in the East Anglia region was less than that in Jerusalem or Beirut! These changes in weather patterns have stimulated gardener’s interest in growing more drought tolerant plants - which never need irrigation.
Many of the plants suited to dry gardens, such as Giant Verbascums, Perennial Grasses and Euphorbias also provide the garden with bold architectural statements giving all year round interest. When they have finished flowering many drought tolerant plants have stems and seed heads which look good and hold up well even when the first frosts arrive.
The hardiness rating of many plants also seems to be extended in dry garden conditions too. In these conditions plants seem better able to tolerate the cold winters as long as their roots don’t get waterlogged .
So, dry gardens really offer many advantages – no irrigation, some great architectural plants, a long season of interest, better hardiness rating and relatively low maintenance too. The other bonus is that plants that are happy in these conditions will often self-seed and propagate freely. With all these benefits I am sure we will be seeing many more dry gardens in the UK in the coming years!
© 2014 ukgardenphotos