Aloe dorotheae

Succulents That Like Stress

– Posted in: Succulents

If there’s a good thing about our too-hot Southern California summers, it’s that heat makes certain succulents turn color. A case in point is Aloe nobilis, which in my garden grows in nutrient-poor decomposed granite with minimal water. In winter, the same plant reverts to green. Such “stressed” succulents—which seal moisture in their leaves as [...]

Rosalina’s Dream: A Nursery of Her Own

– Posted in: Succulents

Twenty years ago, cacti and succulents were oddball plants, little known among the nursery industry or gardening community. North San Diego county was where the wholesale growers were located, and many still are. But unfortunately Cooper’s Cactus and Succulents no longer exists; not since John Cooper passed away. The good news is that his plants live on, [...]