Dudleya edulis
Mission Lettuce
a perennial evergreen member of the Dudleya genus in the family Crassulaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Genus
- Dudleya
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Height
- 0.5 m
- Fertility
- Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - raw. Fleshy[1]. They are considered to be a delicacy[1]. Stems - slightly sweet and refreshing to chew, though they leave a chalky taste in the mouth[1].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Stem
Environment
- Range
- South-western N. America - S. California.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 8+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerances
- drought
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- tolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of side shoots in the summer. Dry the stem for 24 hours before planting in a very sandy soil mix[2]. The main stem can also be used, the parent plant will then produce new plantlets at the cut edge[2].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a very sunny position in a well-drained soil[2]. Plants enter a semi-dormant state in late summer and they should be kept fairly dry at this time[2]. There must be some doubt over the hardiness of this species. One report says that it is hardy to zone 8 which suggests that it should tolerate occasional cold periods down to between -5 and -10°c, but the report also says that the plants should be protected from frost, with a winter temperatures no lower than 7°c[2].
References
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00