Carolyn’s Dragon Tree Garden, Before-and-After Amazing tips

When she and husband Herb moved from New Jersey to Southern CA, Carolyn Schaer couldn't wait to install a succulent garden. "I knew I had to have dragon trees," she says, recalling the impressive specimens she saw in San Diego's Mount Soledad neighborhood.

In my new video, "Carolyn's Dragon Tree Garden," you'll see the result: a professionally designed residential landscape of low-water, regionally appropriate plants. Some are unusual, many are large, and all thrive today, seven years after installation.

 

View of neighbor's house, before and after

I've followed Carolyn's garden since its inception in 2015, and my recent video includes before-and-after photos. I also interviewed the designer, Michael Buckner, a lifelong succulent expert, collector and former nursery owner. In the video, he shares tips on creating an aesthetically pleasing, low-water landscape...which supremely meets Carolyn's goal: "succulents are the stars."

Scroll down for a gallery of succulents and companion plants that not only look great in Carolyn's garden, they'll likely do well for you, too---especially if you're in Zone 9 (coastal CA from the Bay Area south).

Fire-breathing dragon trees

Do dragon trees breathe fire? No, but when cut, the sap resembles blood.

Carolyn's dragon trees are lighted at night

It takes a Dracaena draco several decades to reach maturity. Young trees have a single stem, and don't branch until after they flower. When a dragon tree blooms at 10 to 15 years of age, panicles of white flowers turn into sprays of orange berries.

Dragon tree in bloom with berries (lower right)

After subsequent flowering-and-branching, trees attain a characteristic umbrella shape. The dragon tree is the logo of the San Diego Botanic Garden, where you can see many fine specimens, as well as at the San Diego Zoo.*

Carolyn's dragon trees, which serve as garden focal points, came in 48-inch nursery boxes. They were craned into place.

And those bottle trees!

Along one side of the Schaer garden, forming a privacy screen, are succulent trees that deserve more use in residential gardens: Brachychiton rupestris (Queensland bottle tree). Trees' smooth green trunks are water-storing tanks that over time grow nearly as wide as the tree is tall.

Brachychiton rupestris in Carolyn's garden, two years after planting and five years later

According to San Marcos Growers (a Santa Barbara succulent wholesale nursery): "Plant brachychiton in full sun in most any soil type and give moderate to little irrigation. Trees will grow better and trunk will develop when plant is well watered, but it can also tolerate very dry conditions. Hardy to 18-20° F for short durations."

Color and texture

Another of Carolyn's requirements was that the garden be colorful. The designer combined succulents with red, blue and yellow foliage, and/or variegated leaves. And he made sure something is in bloom (like aloes), year-round.

Golden jade packs a color punch. It's as easy to grow as the ubiquitous green variety

Eye-popping combos include red Aloe cameronii with yellow Crassula 'Hummel's Sunset' (golden jade), blue Senecio serpens with white-striped Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba', and blue Agave macroacantha with orange Sedum nussbaumerianum (coppertone stonecrop).

Agave titanota at two years, and today, five years later

In the video, Michael mentions his love of "cerulean blue" agaves. He combined several of these rosette succulents with airy, similarly hued Dasylirion wheeleri--a Southwest native with stiff, slender leaves that form a fountain shape.

The Garden's nitty gritty

Located in the hills above Rancho Santa Fe, CA, the Schaer garden occupies just over half an acre. To borrow tips from it for your own landscape, these specs will help:

• Slope: This steep planted area runs front-to-back, and can be seen from adjacent streets and homes. The slope is 150 feet long, 30 feet high, and 30 feet deep.
• Soil: Typical of new home construction, the lot was scraped, which removed topsoil that helps plants thrive. Michael amended the remaining clay soil  60 to 70 percent with high-grade topsoil (approx. 40 yards total). Topsoil was mixed 20 to 30 percent with mid-grade pumice to enhance water percolation. Slopes and mounds also received a layer of mulch (total 30-to-40 yards).

Boulders that match flagstone pathways, and gravel topdressing, give newly planted beds a finished look.

• Island beds: Throughout the landscape are mounded beds planted with succulents. Such freeform elevated areas lend interest to front, side and back yards.
• Pathways and open spaces are covered in warm-toned decomposed granite. Golden-brown flagstone slabs define pathways.
• Stone: Surrounding mounds to retain the soil, is ledge stone. Beds are topdressed with 10 yards of crushed rock (gravel). Adding interest are boulders in the same orangey hues as the flagstone.
• Fertilizer: In spring and fall, plants receive a 10-8-3 fertilizer with has sulfur, zinc and micronutrients. Every two years, in the fall before the rainy season, the garden also is dosed with Ironite.

Bet you notice them

*If there happen to be noteworthy dragon trees in your area, do let us know their location, so others can see and enjoy them too. (Kindly leave a comment below, thanks!)

Plant Gallery

Agave 'Cream Spike'

Agave franzosinii

Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'

Agave macroacantha, coppertone stonecrop

Agave parryi 'Truncata'

Agave potatorum 'Kichijokan'

Agave potatorum verschaffeltii

Agave salmiana 'Variegata'

Agave titanota

Agave victoriae-reginae

Allauadia procera (Madagascar ocotillo)

Aloe bainesii

Aloe cameronii, golden jade

Aloe distans

Aloe dorotheae

Aloe nobilis

Aloe nobilis, variegated

Brachychiton rupestris (bottle tree)

Crassula 'Hummel's Sunset' (golden jade)

Crassula ovata (jade)

Cyphostemma juttae

Dasylirion wheeleri

Dracaena draco (dragon tree)

Dracaena marginata

Duranta erecta (not a succulent)

Echinocactus grusonii (golden barrel cactus)

Euphorbia cotinifolia

Euphorbia resinifera

Euphorbia tirucalli 'Sticks on Fire'

Euphorbia trigona

Ferocactus glaucescens (blue barrel cactus)

Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta'

Graptopetalum paraguayense

Kalanchoe beharensis

Kalanchoe luciae (paddle plant)

Lampranthus 'Lemon'

Parodia magnifica

Plectranthus neochilus, variegated (not a succulent)

Senecio anteuphorbium

Senecio serpens, Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba'

Yucca rostrata

Aloes: Uses, Photos, IDs & Varieties

Aloes: How To Grow & Varieties All about aloes plus a photo gallery of aloes ID’d and in bloom See All Succulent Types Aeonium Agaves Aloes Cactus Crassula Echeveria Euphorbias Ice Plants Kalanchoe Portulacaria Senecio About Aloes There are dozens of species of Aloe, from tall trees to dwarf cultivars. Aloes typically have juicy, triangular leaves…

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Agaves: Uses, Photos, IDs and Varieties

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Succulent Euphorbias: Photos, IDs, Garden Uses, Cautions

Euphorbia Uses, Photos and Cautions Native primarily to South Africa, succulent euphorbias thrive outdoors in mild, arid maritime climates. They’re wonderfully sculptural and collectible, but do be careful when handling. See All Succulent Types Aeonium Agaves Aloes Cactus Crassula Echeveria Euphorbias Ice Plants Kalanchoe Portulacaria Senecio About SUCCULENT EUPHORBIAS Euphorbia is a huge genus composed of…

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Kalanchoe Details, Photos and Varieties

Kalanchoe: Details, Photos and Varieties Native to Madagascar, kalanchoes thrive outdoors in zone 9 (and higher if in dappled shade). Protect from frost. See All Succulent Types Aeonium Agaves Aloes Cactus Crassula Echeveria Euphorbias Ice Plants Kalanchoe Portulacaria Senecio >> Jump Down to the Gallery All the kalanchoes in the video are also in the…

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Ice Plant Uses, Photos and IDs

Ice Plant Uses, Photos, and Varieties What you need to know to successfully select and grow ice plants. Gallery of warm-climate varieties, all ID’d See All Succulent Types Aeonium Agaves Aloes Cactus Crassula Echeveria Euphorbias Ice Plants Kalanchoe Portulacaria Senecio See the Video About Ice plants Succulent ice plants have in common shimmering, daisylike flowers.…

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Colorful Winter Succulents Amazing tips

How many of these colorful winter succulents can you ID? These and others are great for adding color and interest to mild, dry-climate gardens (like coastal Southern CA). Above is how aloes, kalanchoes and more look in January in the garden of Jim Bishop in San Diego. Scroll down for names of seven spectacular succulents in Jim's midwinter garden.

Bonus: New Mosaic at Jim's

Recently added to Jim's garden is a 15-foot pebble mosaic lizard. It adds whimsy and interest to a pathway in the lower garden.  Jim, a a retired garden designer and past-president of the San Diego Horticultural Society, positions such mosaics so they can be seen from above.

Lizard pebble mosaic in pathway (Jim Bishop photo)

Want to see more?

In two YouTube videos, I take you on a tour of Jim's steep, one-acre, terraced succulent garden. Wait 'til you find out what's up with all those blue bottles. Hint: They're not merely decorative!

7 spectacular midwinter succulents

And this is just one section of Jim's garden! See more kalanchoes and aloes on pages dedicated to them---with galleries---on my site. 

Photo courtesy of Jim Bishop.

And if you love big aloes in bloom

You simply must watch these videos as well...

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Jim Bishop’s Steep, One-Acre Garden

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Midwinter Succulent Show: Big Aloes In Bloom

Above: Aloe ferox at Desert Theater nursery, Escondido, CA. From my video, Spectacular Aloes in Flower. Large, sculptural aloes with brilliant, Popsicle-like flowers make striking garden plants. Midwinter is peak aloe bloom season and an excellent time to see them in nurseries and landscapes. Aloe ferox, or Cape Aloe, might be considered a tree because of its height at maturity–6 to 8 feet with bloom…

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Discover 40 Kinds of Kalanchoe Amazing tips

I'm pleased to announce my new 15-minute YouTube video: "Kalanchoe Species and Cultivars: 40 Varieties for Your Garden and Pots."

One category shown in the video

To organize this highly diverse genus, I've divided it into six categories: fuzzy, floriferous, mother of thousands (bryophyllums), paddles, tropicals and rarities.

Note: On this site's Kalanchoe page you'll find a gallery of all 40 labeled, plus additional info.

Kalanchoe gallery, excerpt

In-Depth Overview

Whenever I give an in-depth overview of a particular type of succulent, I draw from decades of photos, books,  online research, and personal expertise. My goal is to present accurate, well illustrated info, which (have you noticed?) is not always found online.

Learning---It's ongoing!

While fact-checking, I realized that a tropical variety growing in a protected area of my garden for a decade---which I'd assumed was Kalanchoe carnea---is actually similar Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri.

Kalanchoe gastonis-bonnieri

Providing this tender kalanchoe the sun- and cold-protection it needs in my garden had caused its leaves to lengthen (seeking more light for photosynthesis), its stems to become floppy (trying to root in a better spot), and it refuses to bloom (not enough sun). All this makes a plant challenging to ID. Faint purple dashes on the leaves---which I'd yet to notice---were the ah-ha! factor.

Kalanchoe Cultivation

So how many of these Fab 40 Kalanchoes can YOU grow?  Given that kalanchoes are frost-tender and finicky (though so gorgeous you gotta have them), good news: I've successfully grown nearly half of them. I'm NE of San Diego at 1,500 feet, Zone 9b. I get frost in winter and triple-digit heat in summer. Humidity is low.

Kalanchoe 'Pink Butterflies'

To be honest, some varieties---like 'Pink Butterflies'---don't last no matter what I do. (If you've managed to keep 'Pink Butterflies' going year after year, we need to talk.)

Kalanchoe rotundifolia, a rarity

Those I almost never see in Southern CA gardens (but should be able to grow here), I've defined as Rarities---a category that also includes "heartbreakers."

Find out more in my the video, my books and this site's newly updated Kalanchoe page. I welcome your comments and questions! 

Go to Main kalanchoe page & gallery 

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My Easy, Inexpensive In-Ground Compost Method Amazing tips

No bins needed!

The new CA law that requires recycling of kitchen scraps makes sense, but sure sounds messy and inconvenient. My inexpensive, in-ground compost pile is efficient, rewarding and more fun---certainly easier---than recycling dripping bags of garbage.

I've routinely done the compost method below for decades. The best part: When you top-dress garden beds with finished compost, you're providing perfect food for your succulents and other ornamental plants.

For in-ground composting, you'll need:

• Leakproof pail that fits under your kitchen sink. Mine is 8" and plastic.
• Small shovel. I use a "Spearhead" to slice through tree roots.
• Bathtub-sized hole for the compost pile.
• Alfalfa pellets. Provide absorbency, aeration and keep compost crumbly.
• Potting mix. One bag, 1 cubic foot. Any brand.
• Red wigglers (Eisenia fetida). These wee garbage-eaters are different from earthworms.

Note: Amazon links are affiliate and should not imply an endorsement. To save on product costs and shipping, by all means buy local. 

It starts under the Sink

In our house, kitchen scraps (peels, vegetables, rinds, coffee grounds, tea bags) go under the sink. Bones and animal protein---whatever might attract vermin---go into the garbage disposal.

Compost pail under the sink

Here's how I trained my family: Whenever someone tossed a banana peel or, say, burnt toast into the trash, I'd say, "Hey! Remember Mr. Compost!" I then retrieved the item and dropped it into the pail. Even our guests "feed Mr. Compost." It's like having a pet under the sink. Burp.

Next go outdoors

Every few days or whenever the pail is full, I escort it to the compost pile. I dig a hole about 12-inches in diameter, dump the contents, and cover with crumbly brown compost. I set the shovel upright in that spot as a marker.

The shovel indicates where new scraps are buried. The entire area is roughly square and dug into a slope.

I dig successive holes for scraps in a clockwise fashion, so I'll know which part of the pile is older (i.e. finished compost) and which is newer (still in process).

Create a dedicated area

The best time to dig a bathtub-sized hole for a compost pile is winter, when the ground is rain-soaked and soft. Make it about 12 inches deep.

Ideally position it near a hose or irrigation riser to help keep compost moist in hot, dry seasons. Also it should be conveniently near the kitchen---mine is 30 steps away.

If the compost area is rectangular, you might bury new garbage from, say, left to right.

Make worms comfy

To get your freshly-dug area off to a good start, dump in 5 gallons or so of alfalfa pellets. It's horse chow, available at any tack-and-feed store as well as online.

Alfalfa pellets

Soak the pellets so they'll expand (this takes several hours). Then mix in a large bag of inexpensive potting soil. Add a welcome meal of kitchen scraps. Turn the pile to mix everything, then add worms.

It's not compost yet, because it hasn't been through the intestinal tract of a worm. At first the pile will seem small, but remember, you'll continually add to it. Worms increase in number based on the amount of food available, so they're dependent on you. Don't disappoint them!

Won't the hole fill up? Eventually, but those busy little wigglers keep it from getting too big. Composting is condensing. In any case, you can always remove some finished compost (which looks like soil and doesn't have chunks) and spread it throughout the garden.

What could go wrong?

I've read entire books on composting, worried something might go horribly wrong. I honestly don't think it can. Over the years, our hole has flooded, and I've accidentally let it dry out. One summer I neglected to feed "my" worms for weeks. Everything has survived and thrived.

Btw, if garbage under the sink attracts fruit gnats, empty and wash the pail more often, and keep the area around it clean and dry.

My compost pile is in my garden's potting, utility and nursery area

Like chocolate cake for plants

A major bonus is how compost will benefit the rest of your garden. My back yard once was nutrient-poor dirt consisting of decomposed granite and clay. Over the years, it has turned into soft, crumbly soil that's rich, dark and root-friendly. [See a video of my half-acre garden.]

Alfalfa alone is a great source of nitrogen, potassium and trace minerals.

For years I added chipped and shredded yard waste to the pile, but the advent of green-waste bins has made that unnecessary. I do occasionally add sawdust, dry leaves or soil left over from nursery pots, but they don't seem to make much difference.

Btw, don't bother trying to compost succulents---they take forever to decompose!

Success tips

If you live in a winter-wet, summer-dry climate like mine (inland Southern CA, Zone 9b)...

• Create your compost area in a mostly shady location, so it won't dry out quickly in summer.
• Keep compost moist but not soupy, just wet enough so worms can slip and slide.
• If your pile functions fine but you don't see worms, they may be in its cool, moist bottom layer.
• When harvesting finished compost, shovel it into plastic nursery pots and set them atop the pile overnight. Worms will descend back into the pile through holes in the bottom of the pots.
• If storms, a broken pipe, a hose-wielding child (or an absent-minded owner) accidentally floods the hole, add alfalfa to absorb excess water. Start with a few handfuls; pellets expand so much, they may overflow the hole. Scatter excess into the garden.
• Turning the pile helps aerate it, which is especially important if you add yard waste. Keep in mind a mixed-waste pile is more work to harvest because it needs sifting.
• Before composting whole fruits or vegs, hack them up. The more surface area a large, dense item has, the quicker worms can process it.
• Don't add weeds that have gone to seed.
• If a seed from a tomato, squash or melon sprouts in the pile, consider it a gift and transplant it into your vegetable garden.

What about odors? And doesn't garbage attract vermin?

There's no smell and no problem with critters unless you add pet waste; or animal fat, bones or protein. I no longer compost eggshells, because a nocturnal visitor---possibly a possum---was digging them out of the pile.

If the pile does smell, it's probably too wet, causing anaerobic decomposition. Aerate it with alfalfa and/or dry, chopped yard waste.

Isn't a compost pile unsightly?

No. In fact, I make a point of showing it to visitors. If they're interested, I dig up a knot of worms, and ask if they've ever held any. (Worms tickle.) A fond memory is of two teen-age boys who backed away in horror. (Clearly they weren't raised right.)

It's not necessary to pet your worms, but it is nice to name them.

My grown son enjoys discussing compost methods. His system is more sophisticated---two bins---because he composts chicken manure and grass clippings along with kitchen waste. He uses screens for sifting and to stop chickens hunting worms.

When he started composting, I presented my son with a prettily wrapped box. After glancing at my DIL, I said, "Uh, maybe you want to open that outside?" (It contained 100 red wigglers.)

Now don't go dissing Walter, Wilma and the rest. They're my cleanest, hardest-working garden helpers. 

Must you buy worms?

Not if you have a friend willing to share hers. Even a handful will do. They quickly reproduce.

Which reminds me, decades ago, red worms found my pile all on their own. Maybe angels dropped them.

Anything else to watch for?

Trees and shrubs love being near a compost pile. When a mat of fine white roots encroaches, chop them off...and, well, compost them.

Mr. Compost, your garden, and the taxpayers of California thank you.

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Welcome to my site’s “Debra’s Garden” page. This is where you’ll find photos of plants in my half-acre succulent garden, as shown in my recently released, 15-min. video:” See My Idea-Filled Succulent Spring Garden.” The video came about as a result of my garden looking amazingly beautiful after a rainy April here

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Want to Make Tequila or Mezcal from Your Agaves? Amazing tips

My tequila/mezcal journey started with my Ask Me Anything challenge. Mark Dorfman of Orange, CA emailed: "How many piñas does it take to make a bottle of Tequila or Mezcal?" Of the 100+ questions from my newsletter subscribers, I kept coming back to Mark's.

As a journalist, I'm all about being timely, and New Year's Eve---second only to Cinco de Mayo for tequila consumption---is coming up. Plus I shared Mark's curiosity. A piña (Spanish for pineapple) is what's left of an agave once its leaves are sheared off.

Harvesting agaves for tequila in Mexico. Photo: Jose Cuervo.

Mark's question led me to a romp through the Internet that gave fresh perspective on agaves.

Before long, a little knowledge---being a dangerous thing---made me want to make the moonshine of Mexico: mezcal. You can use nearly any kind of agave, wild or farmed. (Tequila is trickier. It's a type of mezcal made solely from Agave tequilana and it has production standards beyond the abilities of most craft distillers.) Btw, the average proof of tequila is 80; of mezcal, 38 to 55.

Agave tequilana (Weber's blue agave) in a garden

I figured making mezcal was about as complicated as making beer, the hobby of a friend of my son's. (If he can do it...) Granted, commercial mezcal producers say it has to come from a particular region and be certified. But  artisanal mezcaleros are everywhere. Why not mezcaleras? (!)

A lost opportunity

Just think: Over the years, we've chopped apart and disposed of three large Agave americana (century plants) that bloomed and died in the garden. See: Big Blue's Life and Demise. Had I known about Mexican moonshine, I'd have roasted them.

See my YouTube video: Agave americana Bloom and Removal

I figured I'll need a core (piña) about the size of a five-gallon bucket, from an agave in bud.  Gearing up for flowering creates a high sugar content in the core. So to make alcohol, you can't use an agave that's unripe or post-bloom (gone to seed).

What does a flowering agave look like? See my article: "Your Agave's Blooming -- Now What?".

Professional jimadores in Mexico---where tequila and mescal are billion-dollar industries---know precisely when an agave is ready. And so do I: The center leaves come together, hugging the growing stalk. Cool. I'm already an expert.

Agave angustifolia 'Marginata' in a garden

One popular agave for mezcal is A. angustifolia, which blooms around age 10. On labels it's "espadín." Others you may recognize are A. shawii, A. potatorum, A. macroacantha and A. americana. See them in the Agave Gallery.

Yes, you can make mezcal from century plants. Look closely: "100% A. americana" is on the label, at upper right.

As with most vegetables, roasting an agave enhances its flavor and sweetness. Cottage distilleries in Mexico roast piñas in pits dug into the ground, sort of like a luau. If I aimed for two bottles -- one for Mark and one for me -- I'd hack chunks off a piña, pile them in my turkey pan, and slow-cook them---turning occasionally with tongs---until browned, soft, sticky and sweet.

Not too difficult, right? Well...there's a bitter juice that needs to be drained off or it'll ruin the flavor. Also, cooking a piña in a home oven would likely negate the flame-roasted flavor mezcal is known for.

The next step is to pound the cooked agave, which is quite fibrous, into a mash. I confess reading about that caused my interest to wane. Serious mezcaleros use a big stone wheel turned by a horse, or at the very least, a large wood mallet.

Equally daunting is the final step: distillation. Seems I'd need a still.

This 3-gallon still on Amazon would likely do the trick, but $270 is a lot of money to pay for a few bottles of---let's be real---mediocre mezcal.

Never mind what the tequila tastes like, I want the bottle. That piña cork!

It's sounding a lot better to simply buy a bottle of mezcal to toast the New Year. Or tequila. Hm. What a great excuse to visit El Agave Restaurant and Tequileria in Old Town San Diego, 45 minutes from my home. Bottles of tequila---every brand imaginable---line shelves. There are thousands, some collector's items. All are a delight to view. The food's fantastic too.

What About The Worm?

Long ago, on a trip to Mexico, I learned that the worm in a bottle of mezcal (never, ever in a bottle of tequila) is to show that the alcohol content is high enough to preserve a chubby larva. You know, like formaldehyde. Yum.

But nowhere did I find this info online, rather, I read that the so-called worm is "a marketing gimmick" (now why would that be?) or to add flavor (oh, come on!).

If a bottle of mezcal has "Con Gusano" on the label, that means "with worm." I.e. "with larva." This one is made from Agave salmiana.

Of vastly more interest---at least to yours truly---is that The Worm is either the larva of a moth that feeds on agaves, or of my old nemesis, the agave snout-nose weevil.

"Worms" are optional, btw, either when making an artisanal mezcal, or to munch like a gherkin. As far as I can tell, most mezcal brands don't bother.

 

This mezcal boasts that it's made from Agave montana. Evidently because it's rare and unusual, the price is over $400.

 

Maybe there IS something to that fabled worm. Worm salt is sold as a gourmet seasoning.

Clearly there's a lot about the culinary aspects of agaves to learn. Leaping to conclusions is lousy journalism, so I'll refer you to a great book I ran across: "Mezcal: The History, Craft & Cocktails of the World's Ultimate Artisinal Spirit." Author Emma Jansen is a journalist, editor and photographer who reports on global drinking cultures. Her writing is as clear and bright as double-distilled tequila.

To Answer Mark's question

Agave tequilana piñas average 110 lbs, and it takes 11 lbs. to make a bottle of tequila, so one piña = 11 bottles.

Hey Mark, you're the winner! Please LMK your address and which one of my books or calendars you would like. As for others who responded, rest assured I've read every one of them, and it's a real eye-opener to discover what interests and concerns you. The result is a list of topics I'll investigate and share with you in 2022.

And speaking of the New Year: Doesn't a shot of mezcal sound good right now? CLINK!

¡Feliz año nuevo, mis queridos! ¡Que sean bendecidos con salud y felicidad!

Note: Links to Amazon are affiliate.

 

Agaves: Uses, Photos, IDs and Varieties

With the exception of a few soft-leaved and variegated varieties, agaves want sun—the more the better in all but desert climates. Most are hardy to the mid- to high-20s F, and some go a lot lower. Sharp points at leaf tips and along leaf edges can make agaves treacherous. I snip about a quarter inch from leaves’ needlelike tips with garden shears.

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Grow Versatile Mini Pine Tree Crassula Amazing tips

Mini pine tree crassula, related to jade, is a carefree succulent I've grown for 20+ years. The botanical name, Crassula tetragona, refers to the three-sided shape of the leaves.

Crassula tetragona at left, with blue Senecio mandraliscae and aeoniums in bloom.

What I enjoy about this stem succulent is its resemblance to a fir tree. Along upright stalks grow slender, pointed green leaves that curve slightly up and are smaller toward the top. Over time, cuttings branch, forming a shrub.

I glued little beads to leaf tips for a holiday tabletop display.

Cuttings root easily.  As with most stem succulents, cut off the top few inches and stick cuttings upright in soil. Make sure the bands on the trunks (where old leaves were attached) are buried. From those bands, new roots will form.

Like many crassulas, mini pine tree blooms in midwinter.

Less frost tender than jades (Crassula ovata and cultivars), mini pine tree is undamaged in my garden into the high 20s F. It forms a polite green bush, not too large, with a textural silhouette. Like jade, it's a great filler plant, but perhaps more interesting to look at. Certainly it's not as common.

Crassula tetragona, foreground, in a Southern CA garden that includes aloes (in bloom), yuccas and jade (behind it).

However, I'm most fond of Crassula tetragona because individual stems do indeed look like mini pine trees. This makes it an good addition to a miniature succulent garden, like my Guatemalan mountain scene, shown here and in my book, Designing with Succulents (2nd ed).

Cuttings of Crassula tetragona make little buildings look huge.

I used Crassula tetragona in my Succulent Sleigh greeting card, available from Succulent Chic, my Zazzle store. 

Like many succulents, new leaves form at the tops of the stems and old leaves wither and fall off. This is normal, but eventually you're left with tall, denuded stems topped with clusters of leaves. If you don't like the look, prune the shrubs once a year so stems branch. Or if you're a lazy gardener like me, simply stick a metal fish in their midst.

A fish made from repurposed materials looks right at home amid my overgrown Crassula tetragona.

 

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Crassula (Jade and More): Details, Photos and Varieties

Crassulas are among the easiest, most trouble-free succulents to grow, with one caveat: With few exceptions, they’re frost-tender (tend to be damaged when temperatures drop below 32 degrees F). Shrub varieties are very easy to start from cuttings, and stacked jades will send forth whiskery roots from between their tight leaves—simply snip off the stem and bury in potting soil so that roots are covered (it’s OK to bury a few leaves too). Crassulas, like aloes, also stress beautifully to shades of red, yellow and orange. Give variegated varieties adequate sun or they’ll revert to solid green.

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