Echeveria

APPEARANCE

• Colors: Echeveria show a wide variety of pastel pinks, purples, blues, and greens and can be two-toned or have contrasting leaf tips. The color of a single plant is variable, with more vibrant colors appearing when the plant receives more light.
• Form: These rosette-shaped plants send out new offsets on stolons (horizontal stems), and if given space, the colony will spread outward from the mother plant.
• Foliage: Leaves can be velvety, fuzzy, smooth, or crinkly and are often coated with a powdery layer of natural wax that gives them a soft, glaucous look. Their thick, fleshy leaves store water and sustain the plant through periods of drought.
• Flowers: Each summer a rosette can send up a tall bloom stalk, from which dangle attractive, bell-shaped flowers of yellow, orange, or pink. The full bloom cycle can last for several weeks and attract migrating butterflies.

CARE

• Light: Echeveria need a lot of light to thrive and show their best colors, so indoor plants need to be kept near a sunny window or under grow lights. Outdoor plantings can take full to partial sun; extra shade will protect them from sun burn on hot afternoons in summer.
• Soil: Rapidly-draining, gritty soil is important for Echeveria, as they are accustomed to growing in small crevices in rocky outcroppings. They will not tolerate standing water, so choose a sandy soil like cactus/succulent potting mix. Soil amendments are not necessary, but gardeners can encourage faster growth by applying slow-release, low-Nitrogen fertilizer in spring.
• Water: Echeveria thrive on deep, infrequent watering with enough time between for the soil to fully dry. Water the soil directly (not the leaves) and be sure to use containers with drainage holes. Watering frequency can vary greatly, so look to the plant and soil for signs of needing more or less frequent water.
• Hardiness: Echeveria are cold hardy down to 20F-30F (zone 9-10). They can tolerate light frost, but should not be kept at consistently below-freezing temperatures. Gardeners in all regions, however, can enjoy Echeveria year-round as indoor plants - just be sure they're given plenty of direct light.
• Propagation: These tenacious plants can often regrow from cuttings of offsets, leaves, and stems. For mature, overgrown plants, you can use a clean, sharp knife to cut off the tighter rosette at the top. Let all cuttings dry in a shady spot for several days and replant in moist, well-draining soil. Full Guide to Succulent Cuttings

NOTES FROM THE NURSERY

Echeveria are among the most beautiful and popular of all succulents and require little maintenance to cultivate. If problems do arise, they're often related to a lack of light or an excess of water. Ensure that any change in light conditions is gradual so that the plant has time to adjust. For example, when receiving plants that have been shipped in a box, incrementally increase the amount of light exposure over 1-2 weeks to prevent both stretching and sunburn. For water related problems, pay attention to the plant and the soil for signs of over- or underwatering. Insert a finger or popsicle stick into the soil to check that it is completely dry before watering and avoid letting droplets sit on the leaves if possible. A dry succulent is far easier to revive than one that has begun to rot, so err on the side of less frequent watering.

For more information, check out Debra Lee Baldwin's book, Succulents Simplified.