Echeveria elegans (Mexican Snowball)

Scientific Name

Echeveria elegans Rose

Common Names

Mexican Snow Ball, Mexican Snowball, Mexican Gem, White Mexican Rose, Hens and Chicks, Pearl Echeveria

Synonyms

Echeveria tinctoria, Echeveria tinctorum

Scientific Classification

Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Echeveria

Flower

Color: Pink and yellow
Bloom Time: Late winter and spring

Description

Echeveria elegans is a clump-forming succulent with stemless or short-stemmed rosettes of pale green-blue fleshy leaves. It grows up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall and up to 20 inches (50 cm) wide. The rosettes bear slender, pink, up to 10 inches (25 cm) long stalks of pink flowers with yellow tips that appear in late winter and spring.

How to Grow and Care

Most common Echeveria species are not complicated succulents to grow, provided you follow a few basic rules. First, be careful never to let water sit in the rosette as it can cause rot or fungal diseases that will kill the plant. Additionally, remove dead leaves from the bottom of the plant as it grows. These dead leaves provide a haven for pests, and Echeverias are susceptible to mealy bugs. As with all succulents, careful watering habits and plenty of light will help ensure success.

Most Echeveria can be easily propagated from leaf cuttings, although a few are better from seeds or stem cuttings. To propagate a leaf cutting, place the individual leaf in a succulent or cacti mix and cover the dish until the new plant sprouts. Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a succulent, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. See more at How to Grow and Care for Echeveria.

Origin

Native to semi-desert habitats in Mexico.

Links

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