Dudleya cymosa
Canyon dudleya
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Crassulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Dudleya cymosa (Canyon dudleya) is a native California herb in the Crassulaceae family.
Canyon dudleya is a California native perennial succulent found in rocky habitats throughout the Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, and Transverse Ranges at elevations of 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces striking yellow to red flowers in clusters on tall peduncles up to 30 centimeters long. Growing in dense rosettes 0.5 to 30 centimeters wide, it forms compact clumps with multiple succulent stems. Its thick, fleshy leaves are generally oblanceolate to spoon-shaped, 1.5 to 17 centimeters long, with a glaucous surface and acute or acuminate tips. The plant produces distinctive flower clusters with petals 7 to 14 millimeters long, creating a dramatic display in rocky, dry habitats.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated - 0 sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Los Angeles, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Nevada, Riverside, Sierra, Tuolumne, Calaveras, Mariposa, Marin, Monterey, San Joaquin, Solano, Butte, Lake, Stanislaus, Napa, Sacramento, Placer, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Amador, San Benito, Mendocino, Yolo, Alpine, Tehama, Contra Costa, Shasta, Colusa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Ventura, Yuba, Madera
How to tell it apart
vs Curio: Dudleya has thick succulent leaves in rosettes; Curio has thin, cylindrical or string-like leaves.; vs Echeveria: Dudleya flower stalks emerge from leaf axils; Echeveria flowers emerge from rosette center.; vs Sedum: Dudleya forms distinct basal rosettes; Sedum grows as spreading mats or upright stems without rosettes.; vs Aeonium: Dudleya has smooth leaf edges; Aeonium has tiny hairs along leaf margins.; vs Carpobrotus: Dudleya has rosettes under 30cm; Carpobrotus has sprawling succulent stems over 1m long.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dudleya cymosa native to California?
Yes. Dudleya cymosa is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Dudleya cymosa grow?
Dudleya cymosa occurs in Los Angeles, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Tulare, San Bernardino, Orange, Nevada and other counties.
What plant family does Dudleya cymosa belong to?
Dudleya cymosa is in the Crassulaceae family, genus Dudleya.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. agourensis — Agoura hills dudleya
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. costifolia — Pierpoint springs dudleya
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. crebrifolia — San gabriel river dudleya
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. cymosa
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. marcescens — Marcescent dudleya
- Dudleya cymosa subsp. ovatifolia — Santa monica dudleya
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.