Don Newcomer is the owner of Serra Gardens. This succulent specialty nursery has been in Malibu for 25+ years. He will soon move south to Fallbrook, for business reasons. Numerous succulents are native to the continent, and in the south the climate is similar to that of coastal and southern California. Aloe arborescens, native to South Africa, grows throughout Southern California; dense plantings of it rim the cliffs of coastal communities. California native plants can withstand wildfires quite well, but that doesn't mean they won't burn.