Care of the succulent plant Echeveria elegans or Mexican snow ball |
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The genus Echeveria, family Crassulaceae, includes 400 species of succulent plants native to Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. Some species are: Echeveria elegans, Echeveria agavoides, Echeveria glauca, Echeveria runyonii, Echeveria setosa, Echeveria shaviana, Echeveria pilosa, Echeveria pulvinata, Echeveria gibbiflora, Echeveria derenbergii. Common names: Mexican snow ball, Mexican gem, White Mexican rose. This species is native to Mexico. They are small, succulent stemless plants that form rosettes 8 cm (4.14") in diameter. The fleshy leaves are bluish in color with a white margin. They produce pink stems 20 cm (7.87") tall where pink and yellow bell-shaped flowers appear. They bloom from late winter to late spring. They are used to cover small surfaces, in rockeries or in pots. They are ideal for Mediterranean coastal gardens and for large cities due to their resistance to pollution. They are slow growing plants. Echeveria elegans prefers a semi-shade exposure because the intense sun can burn the leaves. They resist frosts of -4 ºC (24.8"). The soil can be a mixture of 1/3 sand and 2/3 leaf mulch; they can be grown on poor soils. They are very resistant to drought plants; water moderately waiting for the substrate to dry. In winter, reduce watering to a minimum. They do not need pruning or fertilizers. They are very resistant to pests and diseases but sensitive to excess humidity. They propagate by cuttings of leaves or by separation of the suckers that the plant itself produces through stolons. |
Images of the succulent plant Echeveria elegans or Mexican snow ball |
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