Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Hardie-Scott, Linda

Dudleya cymosa

Dudleya cymosa (Lem.) Britton & Rose

Canyon Liveforever, Canyon Live-forever, Dudleya

Crassulaceae (Stonecrop Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: DUCY

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

An evergreen leaf succulent, closely related to the Mexican hens-and-chicks. 1 or few reddish stalks bearing red to yellow flowers in a flat-topped, branched, dense cluster and growing from a basal rosette of thick, succulent, grayish-green leaves. Rootstocks penetrate rock crevices and bear small, dense rosettes of broad, drab-green leaves. Borne from leaf axils, the usually 4-10 in. flower stalks bear crowded, candelabra-like clusters of bright-red to yellow flowers.

Many species of Dudleya in California, and a few in Arizona, may hybridize, adding to the difficulty of identification. They resemble Sedum, but the latter generally have flower stalks growing from the center of the rosette or the stem tip rather than from leaf axils, and their petals are not joined near the base.

From the Image Gallery

1 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Follicle
Size Notes: Up to about 20 inches tall when flowering, often shorter.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: N. & c. CA
Native Habitat: Rocky, interior cliffs below 3500 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky soil.
Conditions Comments: This plant does not tolerate hot, droughty, summer exposures. Does require occasional summer water.

Propagation

Description: Propagate with stem cuttings, divisions, or seed. The seed, however, is very fine and difficult. Dust thinly over soil on top of a layer of sphagnum and cover with glass until seeds sprout. Move to larger containers when plants are big enough. Plants
Commercially Avail: yes

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Dudleya cymosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Dudleya cymosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Dudleya cymosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-07
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back