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Glaucous whitish, greenish, bluish or pinkish leaf succulent with oblong leaves and reddish flowers hidden by large bracts (color most visible looking head-on). Stems grow to about 8 inches tall and may hang downward to about 3 feet in old age. They may branch freely at the base.

Found at one locality in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Relatively uncommon in cultivation. One of the parents of the glaucous green hybrid 'Frank Venz' (with Sedum lucidum).

Clumping barrel cactus from the Valley of Tehuacán with reddish flowers. May grow to form low mounds several feet wide in old age in habitat, though probably not in cultivation in your lifetime. 13 acute ribs, 4-6 central spines (variable length to 3"), 12-20 radial spines (sometimes more like bristles).

Found in Puebla and Oaxaca. Shares territory with the similar Ferocactus robustus (yellow flowers) which has greener, narrower stems; fewer ribs; and less extensive spines. Recently renamed from Ferocactus to Parrycactus, presumably based on DNA evidence.

Large, single-stemmed, tree-sized rosette succulent to 20 feet tall or more. Green, rough, reflexed leaves grow up to 7 feet long. The inflorescence may double the height of the plant, with whitish, hanging flowers.

Found in Oaxaca. Uncommon in cultivation. Sensitive to frost. Propagated from bulbils. A really majestic plant at maturity. Can be distinguished from all Yuccas based on the presence of teeth.

Like all Furcraeas, this plant is monocarpic. It dies after flowering spectacularly and usually produces bulbils.

One of two different crested forms of this species, and orders of magnitude more common in cultivation than a head crest. This form is a crested version of one of the narrow branches of this species (propagated easily from cuttings). A head crest is a crested version of the much wider main stem (and a very rare chance occurrence among seedlings).

Mature plants resemble a sort of green coral, and may grow to 8 inches or wider. Reversions to the normal (uncrested) version may appear intermittently and these may sprout new heads with their own radiating arms (easily removed and rooted for propagation), so maintaining an entirely crested plant may require semi regular pruning.

Smallish porcupine agave (rosettes usually 10-18 inches) from the same group as striata and stricta. Many narrow green, bluish green, or gray leaves at maturity. Leaves are wider than striata or stricta (except striata var. falcata) but the overall habit and polycarpic lifestyle are quite similar. Found in the western Mexican states of Sinaloa and Jalisco at 1600-1700m altitude in the Sierra Madre Occidental.

In the 2003 description of this species, it was compared to A. dasyliriodes and A. petrophila, the two most similar members of the group. It is different from dasyliriodes in its habit (multiheaded, not solitary) and leaf shape (shorter and much narrower) as well as floral/fruit features and origin. It differs from petrophila in leaf shape (often wider), floral tube size (longer) and tepal length (shorter), as well as origin and substrate. In habitat it flowers in the winter and fruits from spring to late summer.

Small spiny tree from central to southern Mexico with peeling yellowish bark and red or orange-yellow flowers. Spines may vary greatly in size (and some plants may appear to be spineless). From a summer rainfall area. Flowering may occur in fall or winter (or at any time).

Plants in habitat may have relatively few, short stems (depauperate in difficult locations; susceptible to foraging by animals). This behavior leads me to believe that one may arrive at a different form in cultivation depending on water and soil and exposure, and it would suggest that pruning is well tolerated.

Beautiful glaucous agave from the Valley of Tehuacán, often with marked crossbanding. Leaves are rough, channeled and often wavy, ranging from bluish gray to light green. Rosettes are typically lax and open. In habitat even plants in the shade of bushes are really bright and powdery. Leaf margins are mammillate and toothy.

This species is typically solitary in habitat but offsetting forms do exist, and are preferred by some for their ease of propagation. This agave is used for the production of mezcal tepextate (tepeztate) in Puebla and is said to have various curative properties. Other words associated with this plant: maguey curandero, pitzometl (pichometl), huiscole.

Related to Agave gypsophila, nayaritensis, zebra. These species are similar in appearance but are widely separated geographically (found further to the west and north of marmorata).

Large unbranched columnar cactus with furry spines, to about 30 feet tall. The flowers appear on a pseudocephalium near the top (only), usually facing north. The top of mature, reproductive plants leans slightly in this direction.

Found in dense forests in Puebla, overlapping in range with C. tetetzo (and natural hybrids are said to exist). Though similar in stature, these two plants are easily distinguished when mature. Only tetetzo branches (unless there is injury). Only columna-trajani leans north. Only columna-trajani has a (pseudo)cephalium. This Cephalocereus is typically found at slightly higher altitudes and replaces tetetzo there.

Extra large columnar cactus from Puebla and Oaxaca in southern Mexico, with branching gray-green stems and whitish nocturnal flowers. 15-20 ribs, usually 1 central spine, 8-13 radial spines. May reach up to about 50 feet tall. Dominant at lower altitudes in the valley of Tehuacán, replaced by Cephalocereus columna-trajani in some locations at higher altitudes. Hybrids with this Cephalocereus are known to exist. The buds of this plant (called tetechas) are edible and delicious.

The poinsettia is probably the most common Euphorbia in cultivation, appearing on the potted plant market in late fall with big red bracts, which look like flowers although they are just the leafy part of the reproductive structure. Unlike a few other Euphorbias, which pose actual hazards to the gardener in the form of their sap (which can be an extreme irritant), the poinsettia seems to be pretty harmless. Thus its popularity and its general safety (though avoid the sap to be sure).

Poinsettias are produced in vast numbers for sale in the weeks before Christmas, and generally disposed of after a few weeks, whenever the color fades or the plant exhausts its tiny pot. So they are treated as annuals, even though they are long lived perennials and they are started from cuttings, not seed.

There are zillions of color variants of the poinsettia, many of them named. The classic Christmas red is the most common, and in my opinion none of the color variants are any improvement over it, though the white version makes a nice color combination.

While these are almost always small potted plants with a short lifespan in cultivation, this is a long lived shrub or small tree when given the right location, and as such it is a very well behaved landscape plant in climates with mild winters. It is tropical in origin but thrives in dry climates.

This plant is called a nochebuena in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries, after the word for Christmas Eve.

This subspecies of karwinskiana often branches dichotomously and may become multiheaded over time. Like the others, it has reddish radial spines turning grayish white as they age. These spines may be highly variable in length.

These subspecies may be distinguished based on the presence or absence of a central spine (nejapensis has none) and the number of radial spines (nejapensis has fewer than the others, 3-5), as well as its geographical origin (nejapensis is from northwest of the town of Nejapa in Oaxaca, southern Mexico).

Dark green to brown rosette succulent with fine raised whitish bumps on the leaves. Mostly solitary, though it may branch by division of the growth center or by axillary branching (sometimes triggered by damage to the growth center). Easy to start from cuttings when available.

In direct sun the color tends darker and more toward brown. Best (most compact) form in strong light. Flowers are somewhat oblique and orangey pink, with pale greenish mouths and exserted stamens. In low light the flowers may lose a lot of their color.

Said to be a hybrid of Aloe haworthioides and Gasteria carinata. Final pot size about 6 inches. A long lived, relatively short stemmed plant. Apparently sterile. xGasteraloe 'Tarantula' is a sport of this plant.

Clumping succulent with knobby, sausage-like stems and delightful hooded pink cyathia, which appear in abundance near the tips of stems at maturity. From East Africa. Somewhat variable, especially in terms of the size/shape and persistence of leaves (which are generally short lived). My plant was mostly leafless. Variegated forms exist. Branches may appear near the base and/or higher up. Final size pot in the range of 6-8 inches. Relatively common in cultivation (one of the best represented members of the former genus Monadenium, now lumped with Euphorbia, characterized by having hooded cyathia).

Provide excellent drainage and strong light for best form and color. My plant lived several years outside in our mild winter rainfall climate (which is the opposite of the summer rainfall pattern in habitat) but eventually melted down after a particularly wet winter.

Extremely sensitive to cold temps (not a good outdoor plant during winter except in the mildest of climates).

Striking blue succulent with smallish rosettes in clusters. Very ornamental, especially when grown under strong light to increase the glaucous glow and keep the form compact. Leaves tend to have a sort of faceted appearance when viewed up close, thus the cultivar name.

Said to be a hybrid of Pachyphytum hookeri and an Echeveria. Common in cultivation. Enjoys the same care as its close relatives the Echeverias and Pachyphytums. Often sold under other genus/species names (eg. xPachyveria glauca), sometimes with the same cultivar name.

Large bushy shrub or tree from California and northwestern Baja California, usually found with coastal chaparral but also less frequently inland. Notable for its bright red holly-like fruit, produced in fall, which are a real highlight. Flowers are white and appear in clusters at the end of stems.

Relatively fast growing from seed and extremely drought tolerant. Found in an area without any summer rainfall in most years. Thrives with zero supplemental water in our mild climate when established. An excellent candidate for zero-maintenance landscape locations in Mediterranean (winter rainfall/dry summer) climates.

This is a monotypic genus. The common name for this plant is toyón (accent on the second syllable). One of three common large bushes from the region with clustering whitish flowers, along with the lentisco (Malosma laurina) and saladito (Rhus integrifolia). All 3 will grow fairly large in the right spot, so plan accordingly.

Wooly, tree-like columnar cactus to 5-23 feet tall, with branching above about 3-4 feet. Stems grow to 4 inches wide (trunks to 8 inches wide) with 18-25 ribs, 0-1 central spine, 30-40 radial spines. Purplish flowers appear on a lateral cephalium (4-5 ribs) with light brown or grayish wool. From southern Ecuador and northern Peru, widespread and variable. The type species of this genus of spiny, columnar cacti with lateral cephalia, and probably the most common in cultivation.

Grow on the dry side, provide strong light and excellent drainage.

Small, very ornamental agave with straight leaves bearing tufts of hair at the end when mature (the basis for the name). Described in 2007, from a limited area of the Sierra Madre Oriental (1000-1500m) of northeastern Mexico. Shares territory with A. bracteosa, lecheguilla, striata. From the same group as striata, with an unbranched inflorescence.

A wonderful plant for a container, reaching up to 8-16 inches wide. Relatively new to the trade and still pricey. Critically endangered in habitat.

Medium sized tropical agave to 2-3 feet wide with pale glaucous green or yellowish green leaves. Typically solitary. Smaller, offsetting forms do exist (often sold under the old name pygmaea). Leaves are usually flat, with wavy or scalloped margins, teeth and decurrent terminal spines.

Found from Chiapas in southern Mexico to northern Nicaragua. Similar in appearance to Agave potatorum, from Puebla and Oaxaca. Also similar to Agave hiemiflora, whose leaves tend not to be as narrow near the base.

A smaller, offsetting version of this plant was formerly known as pygmaea, and was distributed as ISI 2009-11. That species (including the select blue cultivar known as 'Dragon Toes') has been lumped with seemanniana.

Yellow flowered stapeliad with knobby green stems, which may change to brown or purplish brown when stressed. Not real easy to distinguish from the red-flowered Ceropegia grandiflora when not in bloom, but trivially easy once you see them flower.

Flowers are huge (several inches across) and hairy inside, with purplish red broken lines. They smell like rotting flesh when they have just opened. They attract flies, which will lay eggs on them. They typically appear here in late summer and early fall, perhaps at other times in different climates. The flowers are pretty reliable even on plants growing in difficult situations (eg. drought, rocky terrain) where vegetative growth is limited.

This plant tolerates up to day long sun in our mild climate. Though this kind of exposure may turn the stems brown or purplish brown, those color changes do not necessarily indicate any kind of ill health.

A really well behaved container plant which will occupy a 10-12 inch pot at maturity, perhaps larger if you have the space. Beginner level, provided good drainage and strong light. An excellent subject for propagation from cuttings, but be prepared for a bit of a lag until they root and start growing.

Medium to large, green to yellowish green agave growing to 3-6 feet wide. Variable. Solitary or offsetting. Leaves are concave on top, with marginal teeth and a stout terminal spine. Branched inflorescence with giant bracts at the base of each branch and yellow flowers.

Described in 1990. Found at high elevations (7000-9000 feet) in northeastern Mexico, and tolerant of some frost (to zones 7b-8a if kept dry in winter). This plant may be very easy to confuse with Agave montana (formerly lumped with it) and sometimes Agave shawii (when young, anyway).

The cultivar 'Jaws' (Yucca Do Nursery) has extra large teeth.