Victims of the heat dome

After 12 days above 100°F out of the last 13, we’ve finally dropped into the 90s. This means that we’re back to more or less normal temperatures for the time being.

It’ll be a while yet before we’ll see the full extent of the heat damage, but it’s clear already that not every plant in our garden will make it. Below are some of the victims. On a positive note, it looks like all the plants that I covered with shade cloth are doing OK. I suppose I should invest in more shade cloth before the next heat dome arrives. It’s just a matter of time.

The saddest loss first:

I planted a fairly large Agave chazaroi in a metal ring a few months ago. It had been in a terracotta pot in the same spot so I thought it would be happy here. And it was, for a while, until the extreme heat arrived. I don’t exactly know what happened, but I assume water from the drip irrigation collected in the center and rot found a way in. Once the center of the rosette is this far gone, there’s no rescuing the plant.

⤥ Below is my other (smaller) Agave chazaroi in dappled shade. That’s what it’s supposed to look like. It’s clear that this is not an agave for full sun where I live.

⤥ The Agave toumeyana var. bella below suffered a similar fate. The soil is very porous and drains fast, but when it gets this hot, some succulents start to shut down and aren’t capable of taking on any water, not even the small amount they routinely get. I had two of these agaves close to each other, and the first one died a while ago. Clearly, A. toumeyana var. bella is not a good fit for this spot.

⤥ Recently, I had been extolling the virtues of Echeveria agavoides to a friend – how it’s one of only a few echeverias that can handle our summer heat. It’s true, but even E. agavoides has its limits. What you see below is the carcass of an E. agavoides planted in a spot that was just too hot.

⤥ The aloe below, possibly an Aloe harlana hybrid, has been with us for 10+ years. It’s been in the same spot for a long time. Last month we had a nearby tree removed (Manihot grahamii), which exposed the aloe to a lot more sun than before. I should have realized that it was vulnerable now and I should have protected it. But I didn’t. Lesson learned: Always be aware of changing light/sun conditions after you make structural changes (like removing a tree).

⤥ ×Mangave ‘Queen for a Day’ used to be my pride and joy. Check out this photo from January. Unfortunately, the extended heat has left its marks. The leaves have started to fold up, and the lower leaves are drying up altogether as the plant is redirecting all its energy toward protecting the vital center.

⤥ Our sago palm (Cycas revoluta) has a bad case of heat stress. Maybe it’s sunburn, in which case the yellow leaves won’t ever green up again. In hindsight, I should have covered it, but realistically, I simply can’t protect everything.

⤥ Here are the high and low temperatures for the month, starting with June 30:

The forecast is for more of the same, even though the average highs are a little bit lower:

I feel a little silly complaining about the heat when places like Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and Phoenix are far hotter. But I do wish I lived a little closer to the coast; I’d be perfectly content in a place where temperatures never climb above 90°F.

P.S. On 7/15/24, the US National Weather Service confirmed that the 20-day period from June 23 to July 12, 2024 is the hottest on record for Sacramento – ever.

© Gerhard Bock, 2024. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.