Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Coleus, succulents

I arrived home today from my river cruise through Europe. The backyard looks very good. I checked with Morgan and he said he did not have to mow at all while I was gone. We did have cooler weather and I reduced the irrigation frequency before I left. The temperatures approached freezing last weekend, but the okra is not completely dead and the peppers look very healthy.

While I was in Arizona, I picked up a couple of succulents which I brought home.

DESERT ROSE

Type: Broadleaf evergreen

Family: Apocynaceae

Native Range: Tropical Africa, Arabian Peninsula

Zone: 11 to 12

Height: 3.00 to 9.00 feet

Spread: 3.00 to 5.00 feet

Bloom Time: Seasonal bloomer

Bloom Description: Red, rose or pink with creamy white throat

Sun: Full sun

Water: Dry to medium

Maintenance: Low

Flower: Showy

Leaf: Evergreen

Attracts: Hummingbirds, Butterflies

Other: Winter Interest

Tolerate: Drought

Obviously, the Desert Rose is not hardy in our part of the country. I repotted the plant and it will stay inside.

Desert Rose (Adenium obesum, 5'-9' full sun)

 The other succulents I brought home

L to R: Torch Cactus, Opuntia Basilaris, Sempervivum "cobweb" 

Opuntia basilaris, the beavertail cactus or beavertail pricklypear, is a cactus species found in the southwest United States.

I brought the coleus into the house. This is one that Joyce gave me. It was also still alive, indicating we did not have a hard freeze last weekend.