Acrylic on Canvas with silver detail.

The California live forever has a powdery white coating on the leaves that gives this plant this look is a wax-like substance on the surface of the cuticle that gives the leaves one of the highest ultraviolet reflectivity of any plant. It also protects the leaves from the sun’s intensity. All of the plants in the Dudleya genus are known to live up to 100 years, hence its other name, the ‘California Live forever’. In California, it’s illegal to poach Dudleyas no matter the species, and even if it weren’t – it’d still be deplorable. They can seem locally abundant on their cliffsides, thanks in part to their prolific blooming and seed production, but their habitat is increasingly threatened by human development. When you see one in habitat, admire it, but leave it be. Buy it in a painting and let it 'live forever'.