# Coast Dudleya (*Dudleya cespitosa*)

The Coast Dudleya is a special plant that grows on rocky coastal areas. It has thick, green leaves that look like little rosettes and can bloom beautiful yellow flowers in the spring.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas

![Coast Dudleya](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dudleya_caespitosa_5.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dudleya_caespitosa_5.jpg)

## Appearance

The Coast Dudleya has thick, fleshy leaves forming a tight rosette, often appearing bluish-green due to a powdery coating. Its star-shaped flowers, typically bright yellow to reddish-orange, emerge on stalks, contrasting with the cool-toned foliage.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Saxifragales
- **Family:** Crassulaceae
- **Genus:** Dudleya

## Interesting facts

- It's a distant cousin to common jade plants and hens-and-chicks!
- Its leaves can turn bright red or purple when exposed to strong sunlight!
- Poachers sometimes illegally collect these rare coastal beauties!
- This plant can regenerate from just a single fallen leaf! Super cool!

## Special abilities

- **Sun Shield Secret:** It has a powdery, waxy coating on its leaves that reflects sunlight, protecting it from intense coastal sun.
- **Cliff Clinger:** This plant can grow directly on rocky cliffs and bluffs, anchoring itself where few other plants can thrive.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 5-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Black-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus melanopygus*) — Visits its bright flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Pacific Jumping Slug (*Hemphillia glandulosa*) — Occasionally feeds on its fleshy leaves.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Seaside Daisy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/seaside-daisy) (*Erigeron glaucus*) — Grows alongside it in rocky coastal habitats.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [Succulent](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/succulent): Succulent plants have thickened, fleshy parts, usually leaves or stems, adapted to store water in arid climates.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.
- [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.
- [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not pick plants without asking an adult, and always look but don't touch!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Coast Dudleya?

Compare leaf arrangement, rosette shape, ribs, spines and flowers. Keep in mind that drought and strong sun can shift a plant's color and shape. Succulent Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Coast Dudleya?

5-20 cm

### How wide does Coast Dudleya spread?

5-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on Coast Dudleya?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Coast Dudleya bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Coast Dudleya edible?

No

### Is Coast Dudleya toxic?

None

### What is Coast Dudleya's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Coast Dudleya: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coast-dudleya)