Echeveria
The rosette succulent, in powdery blues, greens and pinks. Pet-safe and tiny enough for a windowsill, it wants sun above everything and dies quietly in a dim room long before it dies of thirst.
Echeverias are the succulents that look like flowers: tight rosettes of plump leaves, often dusted with a pale bloom you should try not to touch. There are hundreds of types and the care is the same for all of them.
Indoors the whole game is light. On a sunny sill they stay compact and colourful; a few feet back they stretch, flatten and go green within weeks.
Light
As much direct sun as you can give it. A south or west sill is ideal. Turn the pot weekly so it does not lean. The tell-tale sign of too little light is a rosette that opens up and grows tall, called etiolation; it does not reverse, though new growth will be compact again once it has sun.
Water
Soak the soil thoroughly, let it drain, then leave it until it is completely dry, which is about every twelve days in summer and monthly in winter. Water the soil, not the rosette; water sitting in the leaves rots the centre. Wrinkled leaves mean thirst; translucent, mushy lower leaves mean too much.
Soil and potting
A gritty succulent mix, or potting soil with at least half perlite or pumice. A shallow terracotta pot dries fastest and suits the small root system. Repot every couple of years, one inch up, in spring.
Feeding
A quarter-strength succulent feed every ten weeks in spring and summer at most. Overfeeding produces soft, stretched growth.
Propagation
Twist off a healthy leaf cleanly, let the end dry for two or three days, and lay it on dry succulent mix in bright light. Roots and a tiny rosette appear in a few weeks. Offsets at the base can be cut away and potted once they have roots.
In a hot, dry home
Native to this kind of climate and very happy here. Dry air and hard sun are what it wants. The one caution is a sill that gets so hot in July that the leaves scorch through the glass; a sheer curtain in the afternoon helps if you see brown patches.
Echeveria varieties
Same care, different look. These are the named forms you will see for sale.
- Lipstick (agavoides)
Pointed green leaves edged in red.
- Assorted
Mixed echeveria and other rosette succulents sold in packs.
Problems and fixes
Rosette stretching tall with gaps between leaves
Likely cause: Not enough light
Fix: Move into direct sun. Behead the stretched top, let it callous, and re-root it as a compact plant.
Lower leaves mushy and translucent
Likely cause: Overwatering
Fix: Stop watering, remove rotten leaves, repot in dry gritty mix if the stem is affected.
Lower leaves dry and papery
Likely cause: Normal ageing
Fix: Pull them off gently. The rosette sheds old leaves as it grows.
White fuzz in the leaf joints
Likely cause: Mealybugs
Fix: Dab with rubbing alcohol on a cotton bud and repeat weekly.
Echeveria questions
Is echeveria safe for cats and dogs?
Yes. Echeverias are non-toxic to pets, which makes them one of the safest succulents to keep.
Why is my echeveria growing tall and leggy?
Not enough light. It is stretching toward a window. Move it into direct sun and cut off the stretched top to re-root as a new compact plant.
How often should I water an echeveria?
About every twelve days in summer and monthly in winter, only when the soil is completely dry. Water the soil, not the leaves.
Plants with a similar rhythm
Haworthia
- Light
- Medium to bright indirect
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
Jade Plant
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Toxic
Burro's Tail
- Light
- Bright indirect to direct sun
- Water
- Every 2 weeks
- Pets
- Safe
