Anyone growing Dasylirion?

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:13 am

I never gave this plant much thought. It is rated as marginal or outright out of my range.
It at first looks much like so many of the Yuccas.
But now upon further looking, it looks very different from Yuccas. A different leaf profile, and as a mature plant, it can be quite the striking plant with a very stout base or trunk. I think this might look great a few feet away from my Washingtonia filifera, with its stout trunk. Both on my south wall.

So. Is anyone here growing dasylirion? Or have you any experiences with it? Also, which recommended species? Preferences for siting?

And if anyone here has extras, wanna trade?

Desert Spoon, Blue Sotol
Dasylirion wheelerihttp://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2005/02/02/cacti_lover/7acf43.jpg

Now I read that they may withstand brief periods of time down to 0'f. And longer times as low as 10'f. Hmmmmm...

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 8:18 pm

So I just went on eBay and bought five D. wheeleri pups. everything said $13.
Lets see how they work out.

also list a two pak for 8 bucks:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380057179902?ssP ... 658wt_1271

cheers

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:12 pm

seedscanada wrote:So I just went on eBay and bought five D. wheeleri pups. everything said $13.
Lets see how they work out.

also list a two pak for 8 bucks:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380057179902?ssP ... 658wt_1271

cheers

Hmmm...those look different than any I have seen before?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 9:18 pm

I'm famous for killing 30 Dasylirion seedlings because I thought they liked it dry (no water). Ahem.

But as seedlings, they looked more like grass.
No wide blades at all.

Barb

dukeofdoom · Post by **dukeofdoom** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 10:23 pm

Cool looking plant! I hope it grows well for you.

I've been eyeing things on ebay I want to buy, but I've always worried I would have problems with shipping to Canada. Anyone have things confiscated by inspections? Is this a common problem?

I've found this website below much easier to browse when looking for things on ebay:

http://picclick.com/Home-Garden/Yard-Ga ... ls/Plants/

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 11:00 pm

DesertZone wrote:
seedscanada wrote:So I just went on eBay and bought five D. wheeleri pups. everything said $13.
Lets see how they work out.

also list a two pak for 8 bucks:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380057179902?ssP ... 658wt_1271

cheers
Hmmm...those look different than any I have seen before?

Looking like the Yucca plant pups. Dasilirion seedlings looks like a grass with tiny serates along the leaf blade.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 3:41 am

Thanks so I am not losing my mind. Those do not look like baby dasylirion. Looks like yucca or agave pups to me too, but worth a try. I will be getting dasylirion seeds in my seed order soon
I think what they are are the plantlets from its spear. Bulbils. Like from the Agave vilmoriniana. I like the octopus agave.
I have asked the seller to clarify wht he is selling to me or if he just doesn't know.
Adam

Anyone else here growing dasylirion? Any tips?

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:05 am

Barb, 30 dasylirion seedlings killed? plant needs water check!
Noted.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 7:58 am

Yup, Adam, I know NOW.

Fine until I put them out in the heat...day later POOF...GONE.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/6466971865/" title="DSC05173 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6466 ... 75b9_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="DSC05173"></a>

Dammit.

Barb

igor.glukhovtsev · Post by **igor.glukhovtsev** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:33 am

I have seedlings of three species of the Dasilirion. They are too small for discussing the things. Have no D.texensis yet. Worse to try.

andym · Post by **andym** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:10 pm

Ive got a few including two trunked specimens. My favourite has to be Longissimum a simply stunning plant. I'm planting mine out this spring (when it arrives that is).

Others include Miquihuanensis, Serratifolium, cedrosanum, Wheeleri green form.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 4:25 pm

andym wrote: My favourite has to be Longissimum a simply stunning plant.

Mine too! I bought one in Yuma AZ for $5 or $7 bucks, but it died in the winter.

I will have more in the future.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:15 pm

Ooooh, fabulous Dasy, Andy.
That'd be $500 here...if we could find it.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:20 pm

Andy that is a beauty!

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:37 pm

good luck with Dasylirion wheeleri............I tried them several times here in mild Massachusetts and they always die in their first winter due to moisture......as far as I can tell. You'll need to protect them in winter. That Ebay link sure looks like Agaves to me not Dasylirion.

Here's the latest attempt to grow Dasylirion in my climate......it's a large specimen. I'll protect it in winter and let you know how it fairs.

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... aa6128.jpg>

<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... c79587.jpg>

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 6:39 pm

Tim thanks for the headsup. And yeah you have a good specimen now to try again. And it looks like a few agave pups are on their way to me.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:45 pm

Holy crow, those are soooooo nice, Tim.

Where were your new ones over winter? (dated May 2012)

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:34 am

Hi Barb,

the Dasylirion is not outside this winter. I thought it was dead since it arrived without a center leaf spear.....however it started a new spear last fall after being outside frozen solid at 20F.

It's still alive so the 20F didn't phase it.

The Y. carnerosana and Y. linearifolia are inside the poly tubes with a string of mini xmas lights.......the power was lost for 35hours during a snow storm and the temp outside dropped to -2.9F (-19.3C).....so only time will tell if they are damaged.

The tubes are to the left of the Southern Magnolia EB.
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... bffcb7.jpg>

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 8:57 am

Ah, yes, Tim, thanks for the reminder.
Fingers crossed re that power outage.

In looking again at your pics when they arrived, surprised that the Dasy's leaves are so thick.
Yet other photos elsewhere show a more grasslike plant, almost like pampas grass leaves (for lack of a better comparison).

Good to know it regrew that spear and handled 20F.
Sounds like they can take a lot once they get some size.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 3:00 pm

Hi Barb,

I'm not too sure about Dasylirion on the east coast......they don't even survive Wash DC winters.....and DC is zone 8a.

Smithsonian dead Dasylirion
<img src=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/ ... 6735be.jpg>

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:01 pm

I would say that's root rot. They need very well draining soil. My guess is the rot probably started in the summer.

There is a person in North Carolina that does good with these southwest plants, high mounds and gravel soil.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:13 pm

Any chance that Dasys are good pot plants for high-rainfall areas?

That sucks, Tim, so sorry about that.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Mar 17, 2013 9:02 pm

Here is some of that garden.

http://cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... h+Carolina

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:12 am

Wow definitely Ice Plants.

I'd expect them all to die, but obviously not.

Barb

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:50 pm

I'll be 'tubing' the Dasylirion in winter for sure.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:24 pm

What's involved in "tubing", Tim?

Have never heard of it.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:44 pm

Hi Barb,

the 'tubes' are the protection tubes I put up......steel wire cage with a poly wrap.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:49 pm

Sorry, Tim, brain fart my part.

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:32 pm

Turns out the eBay seller has no idea what they are selling, besides, will not ship to Canada.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/380057179902?ssP ... 658wt_1271

oh well.

Instead, I put through my first seed order this spring to cactusstore.com
from them I am getting Yucca brevifolia, baccata, faxoniana and madrensis.
also now I am getting three Dasylirion: wheelerii, texanum and longissima

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:01 pm

the eBay seller has no idea what they are selling

He'd better hope the buyer has no idea what he's buying.
Could lead lead to some very peed-off people.

Maybe that's why nurseries label EVERYTHING as "tropical foliage"

Any chance you can provide your new Dasy link?
Thanks.

Barb

seedscanada · Post by **seedscanada** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:04 pm

http://www.cactusstore.com

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 1:10 pm

Thanks Adam.
Can't wait to see photos of them when they arrive.

Barb

PalmsNorth.com

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