My
Aloe wickensii provided the jumping off point for this month's foliage follow-up, the meme hosted by Pam at
Digging. I know that succulents will frequently turn red when exposed to water and/or heat stress but I didn't know that they could twist and turn themselves like acrobats until I saw this:
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| Originally planted in 2014, the area in which this Aloe wickensii is planted is more exposed now due to the thinning of nearby trees. The photo on the left was taken from the side and the view on the right was taken from overhead. |
According to an
on-line source such shape changes can be a response to extreme heat and intense sunlight. I felt like covering my head and hiding too after last month's awful heatwave, which occurred on the heels of a period of unusually cool spring weather.
The
Aloe sent me looking for other signs of stress among my succulents.
Agave 'Jaws', which sits just a few feet away from
Aloe wickensii in the same bed showed little sign of stress; however, upon close examination, I did discover a surprise
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| I almost stepped on a tiny Agave pup that showed up about a foot away from 'Jaws' (to the left of the larger plant in the photo on the left) |
Aeoniums enter dormancy this time of year so their change of shape isn't extraordinary.
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| These Aeoniums, planted in the narrow space between the outer fireplace wall and the driveway, are curling inward but they're not nearly as stressed as those along the street entering our neighborhood, which look more like round balls. |
Shade, especially afternoon shade, seemed to buffer some succulents.
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| Aloe vanbalenii x ferox, shown here partially in the shade of a peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa) with Sedum x rubrotinctum and Aeonium nobile, doesn't seem the least bit stressed |
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| Agave bracteosa, planted nearby, is assuming a new shape but I think that's a natural progression in this case. It's common names include Candelabrum Agave and Squid Agave. |
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| The 2 Agave 'Blue Flame' that sit along the street receive a good amount of shade in mid-afternoon. These 2 are in much better shape than the 'Blue Flame' and 'Blue Glow' specimens I have in full sun in the bed on the southeast side of the house, some of which suffered from "agave edema" when the heat suddenly soared last month. |
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| The lower leaves of Agave impressa yellowed last year after the shrubs behind it died off and it received more sun but the bright red streaks shown here are new |
The
Agaves in the dry garden on the northeast side of the house showed no signs of stress.
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| Agave ovatifolia's only threat is being overcome by the spread of the trailing Lantana |
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| And the same could be said for Agave vilmoriniana |
All in all the succulents managed June's heat relatively well but I am thinking about moving poor
Aloe wickensii.
Visit Pam at Digging to find other foliage highlights.
All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
