# Fingertips (*Dudleya edulis*)

Fingertips are unique plants that look like little green fingers reaching up from the ground. They grow in rocky places and are very special because they can store water to survive in dry areas.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Coastal areas

![Fingertips](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Dudleya_edulis_2.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dudleya_edulis_2.jpg)

## Appearance

The Fingertips is a low-growing succulent plant forming dense rosettes of slender, finger-like leaves. Its fleshy leaves are typically pale green to bluish-green, often with reddish tips, and it produces a tall stalk with small, pale yellow to white star-shaped flowers.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Fingertips 'breathes' mostly at night, saving precious water during the sunny, hot California days!
- Its scientific name, 'edulis,' means edible, and its juicy leaves were a snack for early settlers!
- Look closely! Its slender, upright leaves really do look like green fingers reaching out!
- This plant often clings to steep sea cliffs, bravely facing strong ocean winds and salty air!

## Special abilities

- **Water Bank Leaves:** Fingertips has plump, fleshy leaves that store water, helping it survive long, dry periods without rain.
- **Night Breather:** Fingertips can open its pores only at night to absorb carbon dioxide, dramatically reducing water loss during hot days.
- **Cliff Clinger:** Fingertips can grow on bare rocky surfaces and cliffs, anchoring itself where other plants cannot survive.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 15-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring_summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** [Yellow-faced bumble bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-faced-bumble-bee) (*Bombus vosnesenskii*) — Important native pollinator of its flowers
- **Eats:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Can graze on the fleshy leaves if accessible

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [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.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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

Don't touch or pick plants without asking an adult, as some may be delicate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Fingertips?

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 Fingertips?

10-30 cm

### How wide does Fingertips spread?

15-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Fingertips?

0.5-1.5 cm

### When does Fingertips bloom?

Spring_summer

### Is Fingertips edible?

Yes

### Is Fingertips toxic?

None

### What is Fingertips's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Cabrillo National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cabrillo-national-monument) — California, US · National Park
- [San Clemente State Beach](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-clemente-state-beach) — California, US · State Park

## 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*)

---

Source: [Fingertips: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fingertips)