Echeverias are some of the most popular home interior plants. One of the main features that distinguish them from other succulents is the combination of beautiful colors and decorative shapes. Their flowers can be red, orange, yellow, or cream. Besides their beautiful flowers, echeverias have a unique form that makes them special for any garden. In addition to its beauty, the echeveria elegansis easy to grow and drought-tolerant, making it an excellent houseplant for beginners or those who live in arid areas.
So, how do you care for echeveria elegans? You basically need to remove the offsets and water them regularly, especially in the summer. This is in addition to keeping them in the right temperatures (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit) and shading them from harsh direct sunlight. Ensure it receives indirect sunlight for at least six hours.
Echeverias stand out from any garden. If you have just brought an echeveria home from your local florist or garden store and want to know how to care for the same, this is the guide for you.
What makes echeverias unique?
Echeveria elegans is a species of succulent plant. The plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala, but it is also widely distributed globally as a decorative plant. There are many species of echeverias. Their characteristic rounded rosettes have a wide range of colors, from green to purple to red and blue, often with white stripes on the edges.
How many varieties of echeverias are there?
There are over 150 varieties of succulents in the echeverias Echeveria genus. Here are some of the most popular ones.
- Echeveria afterglow- This variety is recognizable from its broad lavender leaves, which have pink edges. It is commonly used in a succulent’s garden for its flowers ranging in color from red to orange and form below the lower leaves.
- Molded wax agave- Also known as Echeveria agavoides, this variety stands out thanks to its thicker, often green leaves. Some also have bronze or reddish tips.
- Echeveria black prince- This succulent has black rosettes with triangular leaves. In early winter or late fall, they produce dark red flowers.
- Echeveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg’- This Echeveria is popular for its fleshy leaves that sometimes change from blue-green to purple or red. They have rounded leaves with sharp edges, and their rosettes can span up to 8 inches.
- Echeveria elegans- Also known as the Mexican snowball, this variety of echeveria is a popular house plant. It is recognizable through its compact rosettes and spoon-shaped leaves, which are often blue-green. If grown in full sunlight, the leaves can turn pinkish. Between the end of winter and mid-summer, echeveria elegans can produce pink or red flowers with yellow tips.
- Echeveria pulvinata- Commonly known as Chenille plant, this type of echeveria is a shrub that can grow up to a foot tall. It is also several feet in diameter when it’s fully mature. It has rosettes with green leaves and hairy margins.
- Echeveria nodulosa- Also known as painted echeveria, this variety features multiple branches with rosettes that have green leaves with red markings.
- Echeveria ‘Violet Queen’- Simply known as Violet Queen Hen and Chicks, this type of echeveria is popular for long, narrow, silver-green leaves and its fast-growing abilities. Its leaves also show a hint of pink when they are grown in full sunlight.
While all these types of echeveria are different in their appearance, they are all one and the same plant, thus require the similar care routine. In essence, despite echeveria elegans being this article’s main focus, you can still borrow some tips to take care of any other type of echeveria.
How to care for echeveria elegans
Echeveria is one of the hardy succulents gaining popularity among home gardeners. These plants are easy to take care of, growing in almost any soil type or condition, including full sun or partial shade. However, it’s essential to learn how to care for echeveria if you have it in your landscape.
Soil
Ensure you plant your echeveria elegans in well-draining soil. Normal cactus potting soil should do the trick. If you’re not satisfied with the drainage, you can add perlite and coarse sand to improve it.
The fast-draining soil is important because if echeveria elegans are exposed to moisture for too long, their roots could rot. As a result, the plant could drown and die.
Pot
Use an unglazed pot to plant your echeveria. A terra-cotta or an unglazed pot with drainage spots is ideal to drain the moisture and keep the roots from rotting.
Sunlight
Being native to Mexico, it is no surprise that echeveria enjoys as much sunlight as available, albeit indirectly. For proper growth, place your plant in a spot where it will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight every day.
If you don’t give it enough exposure to sunlight, its leaves will elongate, stretching towards the sunlight. Furthermore, as we saw earlier in the article, its leaves have different colors according to their level of exposure to sunlight. So if you want the leaves to have that vibrant pinkish color, you need to let them get more sunlight. You can even move it outdoors during the warmer seasons to ensure that it gets enough sunshine.
Shading
Although echeverias are fond of sunlight, too much heat or direct sunlight can damage their growth. As a result, it is best to have them exposed to morning and evening sunlight. If you decide to place them outdoors, ensure they are at a spot where they will be shaded from the harsh afternoon sunlight.
Water
Like most desert plants, echeverias are not fond of too much water. They do not like to go for long periods without water either.
The key here is to use small amounts of water to water the plant when the soil is parched. Watering when the soil is still moist can rot the roots and kill the plant.
Temperature
Echeverias are used to desert-like conditions and hate cold temperatures. So avoid keeping them if you live in a really cold place.
They also don’t thrive in humid conditions as the humidity can cause root rotting. However, the average house temperature (around 70 degrees Fahrenheit) is adequate to keep echeverias alive.
Fertilizing echeverias
Generally, echeveria plants don’t need fertilization. However, if the soil is a little unhealthy, you can add some nutrients. Be sure not to add too much fertilizer as it might be harmful to the plant.
Pests
Being desert plants, echeverias are not particularly prone to pests and insects. However, once in a while, vine weevils and mealybugs might attack.
If you notice these insects on your plant, you can either spray them down with water or apply insecticidal soil drench, which can be absorbed by the plant and get rid of the insects.
Grooming echeveria elegans
For the most part, echeveria elegans are self-pruning plants. Apart from clearing dead blossoms and leaves once in a while, pruning is not required for these succulents.
Repotting
Like most other succulents, echeverias hardly ever require repotting. However, when the plant has outgrown its pot, gently remove it from the container and clear the soil from its roots.
Place it into a new pot with new cactus potting soil or mix as you previously used. The best time to make this switch is in spring, at the beginning of echeveria’s growing season.
How to propagate echeverias elegans
If you want to grow more echeverias, all you need is a few mature plants to propagate. Let’s look at the two main ways you can do this.
Leaf propagation
To propagate echeveria elegans from its leaves:
- Choose a mature and healthy leaf
- Pluck it by pulling it gently but firmly, using a twisting motion from the plant’s stem. Ensure you remove all the leaf from the stem. However, it’s okay if some of the stem remains on the leaf.
- Once the leaf is successfully out, let it sit for a few days until you start to notice callous over its end.
- Fill a pot with well-draining soil, possibly the same kind you are using to grow the older echeverias, and water it.
- Place the leaf over the soil.
- Only water the plant when the soil is visibly dry
Once the roots have established themselves properly, a rosette will begin to develop, and the mother leaf ( the leaf you initially placed on the soil) will wither away. The new plant can now be replanted.
Offset propagation
Echeveria elegans produce small offsets which develop at the plant’s base. You can use these offsets to grow a new plant.
To do so:
- Pick the offsets from the soil and set them aside for several days to dry
- Fill a pot with well-drained soil and water it as you would in leaf propagation.
- Plant the offsets in shallow holes in the soil
- The roots should be covered, but they should not be too deep inside the mixture. Only water the offsets when the soil is visibly dry.
Final Word
Being the fourth largest genus of flowering plants in Southwest US, Echeveria species are popular ornamental plants. Their flowers vary in color from white, purple, pink, red, yellow, or combinations. This desert plant blooms during spring, summer, or fall. These colorful succulents are famous for their drought-tolerant properties and attract butterflies to lay eggs. If you Are looking for a viable addition to your succulents garden, the Echeveria elegans ought to be one of your options.
Last update on 2023-07-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
