Succulents for the Home Garden, Willamette Valley OR
Linda R McMahan, botanist and horticulturist, Oregon State University Extension, McMinnville, OR
Succulents for the Home Garden – What We Will Cover Some Techniques and some cautions Plants that do well in Oregon’s
Willamette Valley A few final words Questions – during or after
Major Strategy—Use Pots Why? Succulents like
good drainage Raising above the
ground raises the temperature a little
Kinds of Pots Many different
kinds will work Troughs (cement
or rock planters) Regular pots Mounded soil
Soil? If directly in the
garden, add organic matter and mound up soil to provide drainage
In pots, you can add sand or rocks to the soil and make sure drainage is open
Rockeries and Rock Walls Many will also do
quite well in rockeries (rock gardens) and rock retaining walls
This picture is from California, but it provides the idea
A newly constructed and a mature Rock Garden --
The basic structure is rocks—the soil fills in the holes
A pile of rocks or rocks placed in a garden are not usually considered to be a rock garden
A Fool-Proof SedumSedum ‘Autumn Joy’ Grows well in a
sunny border—no special requirements
Readily available Attractive
butterflies Bronze fall color
The Best SedumSedum spathulifolium Native to Oregon Prefers drainage but
open ground may be OK
Does not die back during the winter like non-native sedums
Widely available Many color forms
available
Sedum spathulifolium Butterfly host
plant Attracts butterflies
‘Moonglow’
Sedum oreganum – another good Oregon native
Best in pots or containers
Sedum oregonense, also native to Oregon Another native
sedum to look for Much fussier
about drainage
Native sedums in mounded soil surrounded by rocks and other plants
An innovative way to showcase native sedums in a private garden
Hens and Chicks, Echeveria species and cultivars Many cultivars
available Nearly foolproof it
they get enough drainage
Native Mexico and southward in the New World Echeveria elegans photo:
Wikipedia.org
House leeks, Sempervivum tectorum Old World Species,
Native to Europe and the Alps
Used much like hens and chicks
Photo: Wikipedia
Brittle pricklypear, Opuntia fragilis Native to Western
U.S. Have seen grown
in pots or raised beds in the Willamette Valley
Several related Opuntia may be available Al Schneider @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS
Database
Pendulous yucca, Yucca recurvata Evergreen USDA Zone 7 Drought tolerant,
full sun
Photo courtesy of Pat Breen OSU Landscape Plant Identification site © Oregon State University, http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/
Soapweed, Yucca glauca USDA Zone 3 Full Sun, drought
tolerant
Photo courtesy of Pat Breen OSU Landscape Plant Identification site © Oregon State University, http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/
Consider making your own troughs— recipes and instructions can be found online
Whatever your method, Thanks and have a wonderful time with succulents in your garden