During the growing season in 2011 you’ll find a number of new cacti and succulents are available. Here is a preview of what gardeners can expect to find with a sampling of kalanchoes, aloes and other delightful succulents for the new growing season.


Romantic Rose Kalanchoe

This makes a suitable indoor plant. It can also be grown as an annual. Romantic Rose kalanchoe is part of the Wild Flowers series. This has attractive, large, lobed foliage that is deep green. Especially floriferous, this is a mass of blooms. These open terminally in clusters on the numerous flower stalks. They’re pinkish-white to pinkish-rose.


Verde Talinum

Initially released in 2010, this is part of the Simply Beautiful brand of plants. A member of the Portulaca family, this variety is over 2½ feet in height with a slightly smaller spread.

Verde Talinum has striking deep green foliage. It has an open growth habit. The wire-like flower stalks feature lots of tiny vivid pink blooms. Later, these turn into small orange berries, which eventually ripen to deep red.


Bright Star Yucca

Hardy to zone seven, this beautiful variegated variety makes a great accent plant. The species is native to the southeastern U.S. The strap-like, tapering, sage green leaves have yellow all along the margins. Bright Star reaches about 1½ feet in height with a spread of three feet. This plant has a mounding, compact growth habit.


Aloe Gator

This very unusual variety is only six inches or so tall. It is suitable for
indoor culture. This can also be grown outdoors in containers. In warm climates it is suitable for rock gardens and garden beds. Gator is only hardy to zone nine.

The leaves are triangular-shaped. They’re beautifully arranged in neat layers or rows. The foliage has distinctive stripes of deep green, cream, and light green running across the width of the leaves. The plants bloom in summer, and have lovely flower spikes covered with small red blossoms.