Exquisitely Symmetrical Succulents at the Extravaganza

By Debra Lee Baldwin – Posted in: Succulents

Never mind how practical they are for waterwise gardens, what we really love about succulents is how they LOOK. The eye simply revels in symmetry, and no category of plants do it better.

So, of all the succulents that are symmetrical, which are over the top? These are from my latest YouTube release, “Favorite Scenes from the Succulent Extravaganza”. The sixth annual Extravaganza is this Friday and Saturday at Succulent Gardens in northern CA, and one of the nursery’s specialties is that most symmetrical of succulents, the spiral aloe (Aloe polyphylla):

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Find out how to grow this gorgeous aloe in my earlier post, The Exquisite, Elusive Spiral Aloe.

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All aeoniums have marvelous symmetry. I suspect that this rare, red-striped cultivar likely has some ‘Kiwi’ in it.

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Above is an Echeveria cultivar I’ve seen only at Succulent Gardens.

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Sempervivums (above) not only have great symmetry, the main rosette takes the concept further and circles itself with offsets. Don’t they remind you of droplets of water on a lake?

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Agaves are a delight to gaze upon, especially short-leaved ones like Agave potatorum.

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I couldn’t resist including a second shot of Aloe polyphylla. It and other whirling succulents are in my post, Succulents that form Fibonacci spirals.

Please also enjoy the other great images in my video, Favorite Scenes from the Succulent Extravaganza (3:20), taken at the past five Extravaganzas. I’ll speak at the sixth annual Succulent Extravaganza on Sept. 23 and 24, and no surprise, I’ll be discussing and designing with symmetrical succulents!

Can’t make it to this year’s Extravaganza? I hope to release video footage taken at the event by the end of the year. In the meantime, this video of a presentation I gave at Roger’s Gardens shows an arrangement of symmetrical succulents: Create a Colorful Succulent and Cordyline Container Garden.

Want to be notified whenever I release a new video? Subscribe to my YouTube channel (now nearing 2,000,000 views)!

And, if (like me) you can’t get enough of these gorgeous plants, do have a look at the soothingly symmetrical succulents I’ve selected for my own Succulent Meditation Garden. — Debra

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Debra Lee Baldwin

Award-winning garden photojournalist Debra Lee Baldwin authored Designing with Succulents, Succulent Container Gardens, and Succulents Simplified, all Timber Press bestsellers. Her goal is to enhance others' enjoyment and awareness of waterwise plants and gardens by showcasing the beauty and design potential of succulents via books, articles, newsletters, photos, videos, social media and more. Debra and husband Jeff live in the foothills north of San Diego. She grew up in Southern California on an avocado ranch, speaks conversational Spanish, and at age 18 graduated magna cum laude from USIU with a degree in English Literature. Her hobbies include thrifting, birding and watercolor painting. Debra's YouTube channel has had over 3,000,000 views.