Plants
How to use it. Plant Echeveria en masse, as a container specimen or along a rocky bank. Depending on your climate zone and style preference, the options are pretty open. Landscape architect Jack Kiesel uses E. ‘Afterglow’ as a garden statement piece. He notes its tolerance of partial shade and ability to brighten darker garden patches as winning traits. He likes to use Echeverias with other succulents, as well as with contrasting grasses. Kiesel suggests you avoid planting Echeverias where there will be heavy foot traffic, as this will damage the plants.
Distinguishing traits. Echeveria is rosette forming, with fleshy green leaves in colors ranging from green to gray-green to purple, with colored tips and other quirky accents augmenting its playful demeanor. The color remains strong year-round, and even in the dark grays of winter, your garden will receive a nice pink foliage pick-me-up. Unlike many succulents, Echeverias are not monocarpic and can flower several times throughout a lifetime. In summer look for a stem of clustered flowers, often in bright pinks and yellows. Shown: Echeveria 'Afterglow'
Botanical name: Echeveria spp Common names: Echeveria, hens-and-chicks Where it will grow: Hardy to around 32 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 8 to 11; find your zone) Water requirement: Looks best with moderate water Light requirement: Full sun, but shelter it from harsh summer sun Mature size: Varies with species Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; deer resistant Seasonal interest: Evergreen; flowers in summer When to plant: Plant cuttings or offsets spring through fall; allow the stem end to become callous. Shown: Echeveria elegans in bloom backed by Aeonium 'Sunburst'
Botanical name: Muhlenbergia rigens Common names: Deer grass, deergrass, meadow muhly USDA zones: 7 to 11 (find your zone); hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit Water requirement: Low once established Light requirement: Full sun but tolerates some shade Mature size: 4 to 5 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; provides shelter for wildlife; birds eat seeds; tolerates urban conditions; mature plants are deer resistant Seasonal interest: Evergreen; silvery plumes project 2 to 3 feet above foliage in summer and fall When to plant: Plant from nursery pots in fall
Botanical name: Chilopsis linearis Common name: Desert willow Origin: Native to the American Southwest USDA climate zones: 6 to 9 (find your zone) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Mature size: 25 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant once established, but does best if watered two or three times a month during the summer; attracts bees and hummingbirds Seasonal interest: Fragrant pink orchid-shaped flowers appear spring through summer When to plant: Spring, summer or fall
Deer resistant: Lantana (Lantana camara) Lantana is another nonstop performer that prefers hot and dry conditions. It comes in either a trailing or mounding form, making it very versatile in containers. Like Ageratum, Lantana can be toxic to grazing animals. USDA zones: 10 to 11 Light requirement: Full sun Water requirement: Medium Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 foot to 3 feet wide
Deer resistant: Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum) Ageraturm comes in a variety of blues and looks terrific paired with whites and yellows. This cheerful flower can protect itself and nearby plants from insects, and is toxic to grazing animals. USDA zones: 2 to 11 Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Water requirement: Medium Size: 1 foot to 2½ feet tall and 6 to 18 inches wide
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum) Nasturtium is an edible flower, typically yellow, orange or red in color. While we love it in our salads, deer aren't really fans of this colorful flower. Plant it alongside herbs or other edibles to try to keep deer at bay. USDA zones: 2 to 11 (find your zone) Light requirement: Full sun Water requirement: Medium Size: 1 foot to 10 feet tall and 1 foot to 3 feet wide
Planting notes. Landscape designer Gabriel Frank says Echeverias look healthiest and develop the best year-round color when planted in full, coastal sun. "As it gets hotter, even 4 to 5 miles inland, they lose that signature jewel-tone glaucous covering that makes their leaves so ethereal," Frank says. Some Echeverias develop tall stalks, and eventually you may want to cut and reroot the rosette, much like is done with Aeonium. Leave the stalk and new Echeverias will sprout. Others produce offsets, which can also be used to propagate. Try to avoid extreme light and temperature swings while providing good air circulation and good light. Give it some water but not too much, and otherwise let it do its thing.
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