Thursday, March 14, 2013

Dasylirion wheeleri; my favorite plant in the garden this week…


One sunny morning last week I opened the front door and was shocked by the sight of shining teeth on this Dasylirion wheeleri. They were glowing, lit by the sun. Unfortunately the camera wasn't able to capture exactly what my eyes saw, but this will hopefully give you an idea.

I've had this particular Dasylirion since 2006, it was a tiny thing when I got it, and as you can see it hasn't grown as large as you might expect in 7 years. Ah well, at least it’s still alive!

Actually I should confess I have 5 of them. Three are on the greener side (like this one) and the two I bought at Cactus Jungle last year at about this time are much bluer.

Another favorite feature, the frayed tips of the leaves, Plant Delights Nursery calls them a "cowlick curl...like Elvis used to have."

The stats:
  • Also known as Desert Spoon / Sotol
  • Hardy in zones 7a-11
  • Eventual size 3’-8’ tall (I’m guessing that 8’ number includes the bloom) and 4’-5’ wide
  • Drought tolerant and needs well drained soil (winter wet is a no-no)
  • Full sun

I love this plant!

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

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