All succulents are able to store water and food in their leaves, stems and roots. These stored nutrients can be released when needed. This makes them drought tolerant. Succulents require good drainage, deep but intermittent water, bright light and good air circulation. The soil should be open and airy with low organic matter.

Many gardeners grow succulents in the Crassulaceae family. Among the most popular are echeveria, graptopetalum, aeonium and sempervivum. Echeveria, graptopetalum and aeonium are hardy to USDA zones 9-12 (or Sunset zones 8, 9, 12-24); while the hardier sempervivum can thrive in a broader range, down to zone 5 (or Sunset zones 2-24, according to the “Sunset Western Garden Book”).

Because many purchased succulents are unmarked, while others are given by friends as cuttings, it can be difficult to know the genus of a particular plant. This is especially the case because the genera of echeveria, sempervivum and graptopetalum are similar in appearance. However, careful observation will aid in identifying succulents. First, look to see if the succulent is spiky or chubby and whether it forms rosettes. What is the shape of the leaves? Look at size, texture and color. Notice if offsets hang from the edges of a rosette, or attach to its center.

Echeverias are valued for their colors and variations. Native to the Americas, their rosettes range in size from three-quarters of an inch to 20 inches in diameter. Echeverias have thicker and wider leaves than sempervivums. While both include varieties commonly called “hens and chicks” they are from different genera. The leaves of echeveria are spoon-shaped and gray, green or bluish in color. These plants flower in the warmer months. Their bell-shaped flowers appear on stalks that rise up through the leaves and can be white, orange, pink or red. Echeveria offsets (chicks) grow out from a single base stem and form clumps.

Sempervivums are native to Europe. Their value as talismans is reflected in their name semper (always) and vivus (living). This reputation comes from their ability to survive in freezing weather while their leaves stay green. Sempervivums are commonly called houseleeks or hen and chickens. Open rosettes range from one to five inches across and form clumps to two feet or wider. The leaves of sempervivum are narrower than those of echeveria, they have pointy tips and are gray-green to red-brown in color. Small pink, red or orange star-shaped flowers arise on fleshy stems to 10 inches tall. These succulents reproduce from offsets attached to a stolon (a stem that can take root). The stolon breaks easily, allowing the tiny offsets to roll away before forming roots.

Graptopetalum are native to South America. These succulents are so closely related to echeveria that they hybridize to form the intergeneric hybrid x graptoveria. The rosettes are two to five inches in diameter and have gently pointed chubby leaves, noticeably thicker than those of echeveria. The rosettes grow at the tips of ever-lengthening stems, creating a low cascading grouping about 12 inches tall. Commonly called Mexican Ghost Plant, their leaves are a pale, chalky, ghostlike gold or green. With partial shade and regular water the color changes to a mauve blue. The flowers are star-shaped, large, white-and-red or yellow and one-quarter of an inch in diameter. They bloom in spring and early summer.

Graptopetalum reproduces by rosettes that break off and root. When looking at “mystery” succulents think in terms of leaf shape, color and thickness.

Then look to see if there are offsets. Are the offsets located on stolons or attached to a main stem? Watch for flowers and see if they are bell shaped or star shaped. All of these characteristics will provide information about the genus of the “mystery” succulent.

Want to learn more? Attend the workshop on succulents on April 19, part of the Master Gardeners’ Spring Workshop Series. For information about all the workshops, and to register, go to Workshops – UC Master Gardeners of Butte County at https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg. All workshops are free, but registration is required.

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 552-5812 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

Succulents are one of the easiest plants to propagate. This can be done in a variety of ways: by removing “pups” or offsets, or through leaf cuttings, stem cuttings or divisions.

Propagation is performed most successfully in autumn and spring. Although succulents are easy to propagate, some will take a year or more to become mature.

Offsets are small plants that grow at the base of the main specimen. Aloe, Echeveria, and Sempervivum (hens and chicks) all produce offsets. To propagate more plants from a mature offset-producing specimen, follow these steps:

1) Remove offsets with a sharp clipper or by twisting gently.

2) Be careful to avoid damaging any roots that have already emerged.

3) Place the offsets into cactus mix or a combination of sand and perlite.

4) Spray water directly, but gently and sparingly, on the offset daily. Do not soak the soil.

5) Wait three to four weeks for strong roots to develop.

Sedum, Crassula and Graptopetalum are best propagated by leaf cuttings. Each leaf can become a new plant. For propagating these species, follow these steps:

1) Choose a leaf in good health.

2) Pull the leaf off neatly. Leaves that drop from the plant can be used if they are healthy and plump. If you use clippers be sure the end of the leaf is not cut off.

3) Let the leaf end dry for 1-3 days. Do not water. This allows the wound to seal and keeps pathogens out during the rooting process.

4) Once the leaf ends are dry, place the leaves on top of dry cactus soil. Do not bury or semi-bury them into the soil. The roots will find their way into the soil on their own. You can also create a rooting medium by mixing together a 50/50 combination of compost and fine pumice or grit.

5) Spray with water sparingly every one to two days for four to six weeks. Do not soak.

6) After a few weeks you will see pink roots at the ends of the leaves and then tiny baby plants will begin to grow.

7) Once small plants have developed, separate them out and plant them in well-draining cactus soil, then water well once a week.

All succulents can be propagated by division or stem cuttings, but it is more efficient to divide or stem cut Aeonium, Sedum, Cotyledons and Sansevieria, as follows:

1) For Aeonium, cut the rosette from the stem. For Sansevieria, cut a leaf in sections marking which way is down. For Sedum and Cotyledon, cut sections of the plants with leaves attached.

2) Let all the parts dry out and create a callous where they have been cut.

3) Once they are dry, put the sections into cactus soil.

4) Spray on top of the cuttings regularly but sparingly. Do not soak.

5) They are rooted when you see new growth.

If a succulent looks leggy and unhappy simply cut it back and create a new healthier plant. From one plant you can propagate enough succulents to plant them in masses. Enjoy the plant magic of propagating succulents!

Interested in propagating other kinds of plants as well? Attend the Master Gardener workshop on propagation Monday Oct. 9 in Paradise. For descriptions of this and all the other workshops in the Master Gardeners’ Fall Workshop Series, visit our website at Workshops – UC Master Gardeners of Butte County at https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg. All workshops are free, but registration is required.

Want some plants propagated by Master Gardeners? Come to our Plant Sale on Saturday, Sept. 30, 9 a.m. till noon at our Demonstration Garden at Patrick Ranch,  10381 Midway, Durham.

For more information, and a partial list of the plants that will be available, see Plant Sale – UC Master Gardeners of Butte County  at https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg.

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 552-5812 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

For example, some plants make a mass or crown of shoots from their roots or stems. This allows the plant to reproduce in a larger area in less time than seed production takes. Plants such as hydrangea and African violet can start copies of themselves from sections of leaves. Other plants, such as those in the salvia family, have a natural tendency to develop roots off their stems when the stems come in extended contact with soil and moisture.

Humans have been observant students of nature for millennia. Over time we have helped grasses evolve into heavy-headed grains and turned tiny bright flowers into large garden show-offs.

The development of seeds by hybridization can be done by anyone willing to move pollen from plant to plant within a plant family. Learning how a plant grows, when it reproduces and if it is an annual or perennial will aid anyone who wants to experiment with propagating seeds to make new plants.

Plants that form a mass (such as day lilies) can be divided, usually in the early spring, by using a sharp shovel to dig into the mass and separate it into parts to form new plants.

Plants that can be propagated via leaf cuttings (like African violets) can be started at any time by taking a leaf, setting it into soilless plant medium (such as perlite) and keeping it moist, but not wet.

Hydrangeas can be propagated in the spring by pruning off nonflowering shoots that have two to three leaves. Remove the leaves directly above a node (a leaf-growing bump on the stem). To use a stem, clip the center leaves and the leaf tips of the two remaining leaves. Fill five-inch pots with rooting medium; and press the cuttings into the medium, keeping the leaves above the soil surface.

Water and place under plastic or glass to make a humid environment. Old cracked aquariums can serve as “greenhouses” for cuttings. Place the Hydrangea cuttings in bright filtered light. Once roots develop, a new hydrangea is ready.

To propagate salvia from basal (bottom) stem cuttings, clip in early- to mid-spring. Strip leaves from stems and snip the center leaves from the top. Make sure you have a node near the bottom of the stem. Place the stem into a small pot filled with a 50/50 measure of sand and perlite, keep it warm and moist. The resulting plant will bloom that summer. Keep in mind that warmth from an electric seed pad will help cuttings grow readily. To make a soft stem tip cutting from salvia, make the cutting in early autumn following the procedure described above. Autumn cuttings need to be wintered over in a warm environment then plant in the spring. If you want more plants but do not want to purchase them, make your own!

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

Certainly the camellia’s gift of glorious winter flowers has made this slow-growing evergreen shrub a longstanding favorite in winter gardens, as evidenced by the sheer number of large old camellias seen throughout this region. Originally cultivated in China and Japan, camellias were brought to England with the expansion of the tea trade in the 18th Century and were first planted in America in 1797.

Pioneering settlers brought camellias west to California in the mid-19th Century. In the early 20th Century camellias began to be appreciated as woodland shrubs, and this new interest led to the introduction of many new cultivars and hybrids.

Importantly, camellias provide a source of nectar and food for pollinators such as honeybees and hummingbirds during the cold winter months.

Camilla japonica is the “standard bearer” for camellias. It has large, rounded leaves, a tight growth habit and large flowers in shades of white, red or pink. These blossoms are three to five inches wide. The flowers may be single, semi-double or double. C. Japonica grows to a height of 25 feet, but is usually kept at six to twelve feet. Different varieties have bloom times ranging from September to April.

Camilla sasanqua has an open growth habit and can be upright and bushy or low and spreading.

It has small, narrow, pointed leaves and small, fragrant, single, white, red or pink blossoms two to three inches across. It blooms in December. C. Sasanqua’s height ranges broadly, from just one foot to over twelve feet high. Although its flowers are smaller than and not as long lasting as those of C. japonica, it blooms profusely and can take more sun.

Both C. japonica and C. sasanqua are winter-hardy plants that thrive in the Mediterranean climate. They bloom best when sheltered from full sun and drying winds. Camellias are slow to establish because they are slow growing and have shallow roots. Older plants of C. japonica and C. sasanqua will grow in full sun when their roots are shaded by leaves. They thrive in well-drained, acid soil. Mature plants are water wise and drought tolerant. Often deep watering is needed only once a week in the summer, while long-established shrubs may survive with little to no summer water at all.

If it is a dry winter, water is needed when the soil feels dry. Prune for shape and health when blossoms end. Camellias benefit from an acid, phosphate rich fertilizer applied in March, April and May. No summer feeding is needed. A final feeding can be given in mid-fall before bloom.

All camellias benefit from mulch during the winter. But do not mulch with old blooms or leaves, as these can harbor a fungus that produces camellia blossom rot. This fungus infects the expanding flower buds and flowers and can result in blossoms turning brown before the flowers open.

Do not add camellia blossoms or leaves to compost. Instead, throw them away with garbage waste.

There are more than 250 species of Camellia and thousands of camellia cultivars. C. sinensis is an edible garden plant cultivated for both black and green tea made from young leaves and flower buds.

Both C. sinensis and C. oleifera, a camellia that produces a fragrant oil, are cold hardy in Butte County.

The best time to purchase a camellia for your garden is late fall and winter, when these shrubs are in bloom at local nurseries so you can see the color and shape of their blossoms and choose accordingly.

Enjoy cool winter days glowing with color from the queen of winter flowers, the camellia.

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.

During the long days of summer sunlight, trees cast shade created by leaves that use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugar. This is the process of photosynthesis, which feeds the tree and its leaves. Chlorophyll, responsible for the green color we see in leaves, is an important pigment that absorbs the light energy used in photosynthesis. As days grow shorter and temperatures begin to cool, trees respond by producing less chlorophyll, and photosynthesis slows and eventually comes to a stop. When that happens, pigments of yellow, orange and brown in the leaves (called carotenoids) begin to show through. Some trees produce pigments called anthocyanins in their leaves during the fall, creating red leaves.

A severe drought can delay the arrival of fall color by a few weeks. A dry fall with plenty of warm sunny days and cool nights contributes to vibrant late fall foliage.

Deciduous trees begin to release their leaves when cool temperatures trigger a hormone that sends a chemical message to the leaves to “let go.” Located where the leaf stem meets the branch is a thin bumpy line of microscopic cells called Abscission cells.

These cells “cut” the leaf away from the stem when they receive that message. When the air moves them, these dangling leaves fall away. If the abscission cells do not develop, wind will not blow the leaves off. This is why some trees keep their brightly-colored fall foliage long after most other trees have dropped their leaves.

If deciduous trees keep their leaves permanently they don’t have to grow new ones, but when winter weather has a warm streak, these leaves will start the photosynthesis process of making food and bringing water into the leaves. Then, when the cold weather returns, these leaves are caught with water in their veins, causing them to freeze and die.

This can damage the tree.

The yellow, orange and brown carotenoid colors in leaves remain fairly constant from year to year. Carotenoid is always present under the chlorophyll and does not change in response to weather. But when a series of warm autumn days and cool non-freezing nights occurs, it’s a good year for red fall foliage. The warmth allows the leaves to produce sugar through photosynthesis, but the cool nights prevent the sap from flowing through the leaf into the branches and trunk.

Scientists offer several reasons for why some trees produce the anthocyanin that leads to bright reds. Primarily, it seems that anthocyanins protect leaves from excess sunlight and enable trees to recover remaining nutrients. This helps trees prepare for the next growing season. Anthocyanins give leaves their bright shades of red and purple. So, thanks to the warm days and cool nights we had in the early weeks of October this year, we are enjoying a pretty good show of vibrant leaf color right now.

The UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension system, serving our community in a variety of ways, including 4-H, farm advisers, and nutrition and physical activity programs. To learn more about UCCE Butte County Master Gardeners, and for help with gardening in our area, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/bcmg/. If you have a gardening question or problem, call the hotline at 538-7201 or email mgbutte@ucanr.edu.