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Products > Dudleya pulverulenta
 
Dudleya pulverulenta - Chalk Live-Forever

Note: This plant is no longer in stock. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Dudleya pulverulenta
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Succulent
Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops)
Origin: California (U.S.A.)
California Native (Plant List): Yes
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: Red
Bloomtime: Spring/Summer
Height: 1-2 feet
Width: 1-2 feet
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F
Dudleya pulverulenta (Chalk Live-Forever) A ground-hugging slowly-clumping succulent with beautiful 12 to 18 inch wide rosettes of chalky-white leaves surrounding a 2 inch thick basal stem. Stout silvery-white1 to 2 foot long spikes arch upwards and bear clusters of reddish flowers in late spring to early summer. Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun along the coast but looks best with part sun in hotter inland locations. This plant can tolerate abundant winter and spring irrigation but it is best to plant at an angle to allow water to drain off and avoid overhead irrigation if you water at all in summer months – this plant tolerates going without irrigation in summer but can look better with careful watering below the foliage. Hardy to around 15 F or slightly below. This is a great plant for the rock garden, a crack in a rock or wall or as a container specimen. This species is native to California, growing in rocky areas and cliff faces in the coastal ranges below 3,000 feet from San Luis Obispo south to northern Baja California. Other common names include Chalk Dudleya and Chalk Lettuce. The genus was named for William R. Dudley (1849-1911) a botanist at Stanford University and the specific epithet 'pulverulenta' is Latin for "powdery" or "dusty" in reference to the powdery farina on the leaves. Our thanks to Nick Wilkinson of Grow Nursery for providing the seed for this plant. 

Information displayed on this page about Dudleya pulverulenta is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
San Marcos Growers closed for regular business at the end of 2025 as the property is being developed for affordable housing.
While our gates remain closed, we will open them by appointment so we can liquidate remaining plants, supplies and equipment. The plants remaining in the field are listed on our Live Inventory Page.
 
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