up close + personal with succulents

this past weekend, john, my dad and i went to the huntington botanical garden in pasadena. it is a truly amazing place and we all left with a feeling of awe and inspiration.

many trees on the property were damaged or lost last month, due to severe santa ana winds. thankfully, not much of my favorite succulent + cactus gardens were affected. 

so many of the succulents are in bloom and it's truly a spectacular time of year to experience these living beings. i couldn't help but take a hundred pictures of them. getting closer, i noticed the proper names of these plants. i realized that i only know them by their common names and i could stand to study-up on the specifics of the plants i love. here are a few things i learned:

sempervivum

sempervivum, genus of 40 similar succulent species - crassulaceae family

very hardy rosettes whose latin name means "ever living"

among the most frost-resistant succulents + grow very well in dry conditions.

most commonly known as "hen and chicks"

echeveria 

echeveria, a large genus of succulent species - also in crassulaceae family
also commonly known as "hen and chicks" (though quite different from sempervivum)
drought-resistant + resist some frost
loses lower leaves in winter - will eventually grow taller + lose their compact shape


haworthia

 haworthia fasciata - small genus of haworthia

dark green leaves with white crested stripes on reverse side

most commonly confused with aloe aristata, due to similar appearance

(similar, but with less-pronounced stripes)

aeonium

aeonium - genus of about 35 species - crassulaceae family

name comes from ancient greek "aionos" = ageless"

rosette leaves on a stem

tropical plant + not frost-resistant

sedum (tiny plants)

sedum - very large genus of over 400 flowering plants - crassulaceae family

most commonly known as "stonecrops" - vary from creeping varieties to shrubs

vastly differ in temperature desires - some like it hot, some like it cold

leaves of all sedums are edible

used as a roof covering for green roofs

plants tend to adopt a deeper color when stressed

kalanchoe

kalanchoe genus of about 125 species- crassulaceae family

tropical, flowering plants

easy to propagate + require little water

kalanchoe tomentosa is the variety i use most, but much smaller!

aloe

genus aloe - about 500 species - family xanthorrhoeaceae

flowering succulents, aloe vera is most common + used in herbal medicine

very hardy

birds + bees love them!

succulents are such a remarkable type of plant. 

i look forward to loving + enjoying them my entire life.

xo - crystal

p.s. thank you wikipedia for a wonderful evening of learning.

for the home::

finds of the week...

so it's true. doing what you love DOES pay off. 

 

one person's cast-offs are another's treasures...

 

 many a loving cup...

this may just look like a pile of interesting junk right now, but amazing transformations are occurring...

 

now we have found, there is good reason to buy lots + lots of fabulous vintage books. other people love them too + treat them as treasures! some of the collection this week went to a sweet girl for part of her wedding centerpieces.
 it's wonderful to bring richness into others' lives. thanks for the opportunity!
www.facebook.com/succulessence

sunday's best

one of the finer living arrangements to come off the planting bench yet! 

and it went to a very good home.

 

lovely day out at the rose bowl flea market in pasadena. fun additions to our displays: in back. white tri-fold shutter from RE-STORE and reclaimed cabinet doors (from our neighbor's renovation), hinged together + adorned with knobs + pulls. 

UPCYCLING ROCKS!