Chalk Dudleya
Halupiish
‘Iipay Aa name: halupiish
Common name: chalk dudleya
Scientific name: Dudleya pulverulenta
The chalk dudleya, or halupiish in ‘Iipay Aa, is a succulent plant. Its nickname is Live-Forever. It can grow to about one foot tall and one foot wide, with leaves that form a rosette pattern. The chalk dudleya has broad, flat, fleshy, pale green leaves that have a chalky coating. The flower stalks are tall and pinkish with flowers are small and red. The chalky surface of the leaves helps to reflect heat from sunlight. Chalk dudleya is a drought tolerant plant that becomes dormant in the summer. It might look dried up in the summer, but that is how it lives through the hot, dry months. The fleshy leaves keep this plant moist through the rest of the year.
Photo courtesy Mandy Curo.
Hummingbirds, some native butterflies, and the orange tortrix moth are some of the animals that eat the nectar or seeds from this plant. Rabbits and deer sometimes graze on the chalk dudleya.
Kumeyaay People chew the leaves, which quench thirst. The leaves are used to treat calluses. The sweet flowers can also be eaten.