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HOME GROWN continued
Joshua Peede
Landscape Designer & Gardener
ISCO Landscaping • Wilson, NC
SCC Landscape Gardening Graduate
Carthage Farm Supply
www.carthagefarmsupply.com
947-2213
3710 US Hwy 15-501 N • Carthage
The World of Succulents
by Joshua Peede
Typically, the term “succulents” makes people
think of plants like cactus, or the little rosette
shaped hens and chicks that are potted up to
catch your eye at the garden center checkout. If
either of these were thoughts of yours, then you
would be very right. With that being said, the
succulent plant family spans much broader than
these. First of all, a succulent plant is made up
of thick, fleshy parts that are designed to retain
water in arid climates and dry soil conditions.
Although many succulents are not cold hardy
enough for our zone 7B-8A in North Carolina,
there are many that do very well here. Some
Agave, Delosperma, Sedum, Sempervivum,
and Yucca perform well when planted outdoors
in central North Carolina. Many plants like
Aeonium, Aloes, Echeveria, Jade, Kalanchoe,
and Snake Plant might be found in the indoor
garden, since our winters are just a bit too harsh
for these selections outside. In this article, my
goal is to focus on the varieties of succulents
that do well in our local climate and to learn
about how to incorporate some of them in your
garden, if you have not already.
First of all, I want to look at a group of
plants called Sempervivums, or more generally
known as Hens and Chicks. The term “Hens
and Chicks” is given to this plant by the way it
forms clusters of small baby plants around the
base of the mother plant. While the new plants
are still connected by root to the original plant,
they can be carefully separated from the parent
root system and replanted as a single plant.
Sempervivums are quite intriguing with their
rosettes of leaves, as well as unique flower spikes
or even web-like filaments that stretch across
the center of the plants in different varieties.
There are different leaf colors to choose from,
and as with most succulents, they require a
fairly sunny location with well–drained, coarse
soil. Little fertilizer is needed for Sempervivums.
They make a great choice for containers, as well
as fairy gardens.
Yuccas are another plant type that I’d like
to touch on briefly. Many times, Yucca can be
found growing with cacti in the hottest and most
arid parts of the world, but there are varieties
well–suited for our climate. Yucca filamentosa is
a native and does very well here. The common
name is Spanish Bayonet or Adam’s Needle
Yucca. There are some interesting varieties
among this species, like ‘Bright Edge’ and ‘Color
Guard,’ with their variegated foliage, as well as
‘Golden Sword’ and ‘Garland Gold,’ with a more
distinct golden variegation among green. These
plants are evergreen, very hardy, and have 5-6
feet tall spikes that hold large, white bell-shaped
blooms in summer. The foliage is whorled
and sword-like, reaching 2-3 feet tall typically.
Another plant to make mention of is the Red
Yucca, or Hesperaloe parviflora. Although the
name indicates that it should be in the Yucca
family, it really is a member of the century-plant
family and is native to parts of south and west
Texas. This very drought-tolerant, grass-like,
evergreen perennial grows 3 feet tall with red
flowers held on tall spikes that reach 5 feet tall.
The flowers are red and also very attractive to
hummingbirds. Make sure not to select a wet
location when planting this one, because the
native habitat for Red Yucca is hot, dry and
sunny, with an annual rainfall of 20 inches or less.
The next group of plants is my personal
favorite, the Sedums. Sedum or Stonecrop is
a diverse genus of plants that has an array of
colors and textures in both foliage and flower.
I am going to break this genus of plants in two
groups as I make note of some worthy varieties.
First of all, there are the upright varieties. Sedum
‘Autumn Joy’ is a variety that has been around a
while but is still a favorite with its broad, light
green foliage that emerges like little cabbages in
early spring, soon followed by flowering heads
that hold themselves up like a broccoli floret
until late summer when the heads of tiny green
buds open into bright pink flowers, fading to a
burgundy color as autumn progresses. Autumn
Joy grows to 2” in height and is a great attractant
for pollinators in the garden. Sedum ‘Autumn
Fire’ is another variety, similar to Autumn
Joy, but grows slightly taller, with a deeper red
bloom. There are upright varieties with purple
foliage, like Sedum ‘Purple Emperor.’ Purple
Emperor has deep purple foliage that is fleshy
like the previous varieties and displays light pink
buds that open in a flat head as dusky pink, then
darken with the cooler season before dormancy.
The groundcover varieties are more diverse
than the upright forms and offer a kaleidoscope
of colors. Some varieties have bristle-like foliage,
such as Sedum ‘Angelina,’ which has beautiful
chartreuse-yellow foliage that turns orange on
its growth tips as cool weather arrives. Another
favorite variety is Sedum ‘Blue Spruce,’ which
has nice blue foliage that resembles a bristle
comb that is soft to the touch. There are other
varieties, like Sedum ‘Coral Reef,’ that has a
dense foliage of rounded leaves in transitioning
color from green to red throughout the year and
blooms yellow during the summer, while Sedum
‘Major,’ with its tiny clusters of blue-green
leaves, forms a dense mat on top of the ground,
only reaching a height of about 1 inch and is a
perfect choice for the cracks and crevices found
in the rock garden!
Agaves are being found in the local garden
more often than in times past. This could be due
to the need for more water-wise plantings, as
well as the introduction of new hybrids that are
better suited for our climate. Agave or century
plant is a plant that can be found from small to
large, blue-green to red, and every variegation
imaginable. Most agaves have a whorled rosette
of leaves that are very fleshy, in order to retain
water in the dry conditions in which they are
native. Just because agaves like to grow in a dry
location, does not mean to plant them and never
water them. Give them enough water for the first
couple weeks to help them get over the shock of
transplant and then back off to watering twice a
month, if needed. Soon enough, supplemental
watering shouldn’t be needed, especially with
the rainfall we receive in North Carolina. Agave
parryi, Agave montana, and Agave ovatifolia are
three good selections for climates that tend to
be cooler and wetter than what is typical for an
agave. Take a look at Agave ovatifolia ‘Whale’s
Toungue’ to see an interesting variety that can
be planted in our area with a height of 5 tall, and
a flower spike that blooms twice as high, once
every 8-12 years. Now there’s no wonder why it’s
called century plant!
To round off the list of good succulent
choices for our region, let’s quickly explore the
Hardy Ice Plant or Delosperma. These perennial
succulents can add a big splash of color to any
border or bed during the flowering season,
with its ground-hugging, vibrant colored flower
display. Delosperma cooperi is the common
purple flowering species that most people are
familiar with, although there are very attractive
new varieties on the market, like ‘Fire Spinner,’
which has flower petals that transition from
bright orange to fuchsia, then almost a bright
lilac as you move toward the center of the flower.
Other varieties have flowers with red, yellow,
pink, purple, white, and mixtures of these colors
in the same bloom.
Whether you are planting an area where
nothing else will grow in the heat and poor
soil, trying to find the right plant for your rock
garden, or maybe just giving a perennial border
some more color and dimension, then consider
using succulents. You might just be surprised at
the available varieties from which to choose! ��
No. 130 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.29
/www.carthagefarmsupply.com
