Echeveria

Many cultivated Echeveria originate from Mexican species that grow in bright, rocky places. Their thick leaves store water and form tightly arranged rosettes close to the ground.

A pale, powdery covering on some species is called farina. It helps protect the leaf surface and can be rubbed away by handling. Mature plants may produce offsets beside the original rosette and flower on stalks above the leaves.

Echeveria plants

Echeveria ‘Lola’ forms a neat rosette of pale leaves with pink tones, and ‘Purple Pearl’ has broader lavender-coloured foliage. Echeveria elegans develops pale, powdery leaves, while Echeveria purpusiorum carries pointed green foliage with darker markings.

These succulents grow slowly into tight rosettes, sometimes adding smaller crowns beside the parent plant. Check the mature width of each variety and allow room around its leaf tips. A powdery coating, known as farina, protects the surface of some leaves and marks easily when touched.

Very bright daylight and a sharply draining mix help maintain compact growth. Many varieties tolerate gentle direct sun after gradual acclimatisation. Allow the growing medium to approach dryness before watering and keep water from standing in the rosette.