Succulents – Echeveria

Botanical name: echeveria elegans

Beginner friendly?: yes

Average size at maturity: up to one foot in height and in width

Bloom time: spring, summer. Starts blooming during the second growing season and then blooms every season after.

Hardy zone: zones 10 – 13

Flower color: pink, orange, white, yellow, red

Foliage color: green, blue, purple, pink, gray

Growth rate: can grow up to 6 inches a year

Pruning instructions: remove dried up bottom leaves as necessary

Propagation methods: cut a stem just below a node and place in water until roots start to emerge

Landscape use: succulent garden, groundcover

Light needs: about 6 hours of sun a day

Special features: produces excessive amounts of oxygen

Watering instructions: only water when the top 2 – 3 inches has completely dried

Fertilizing instructions : use a diluted cacti fertilizer after planting and repeat once a year in the spring

Best time to plant: spring or summer

Best type of soil: loam, sand

Companion plants: sedum, hens and chicks, crassula

Toxicity level: potentially mildly toxic if ingested

Invasive species: no