Care of the succulent plant Echeveria setosa or Mexican Fire Cracker |
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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 setosa, Echeveria pulvinata, Echeveria glauca, Echeveria gibbiflora, Echeveria elegans, Echeveria agavoides, Echeveria runyonii, Echeveria shaviana, Echeveria pilosa, Echeveria derenbergii. Common names: Mexican Fire Cracker, Firecracker Plant, Hens and Chicks. This species is native to Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico. They are small succulent plants that tend to produce colonies. The leaves are fleshy, arranged in rosettes, light green and covered with fine whitish hairs. The flowers are yellow and red in color and appear in spikes above the leaves. They bloom during the summer. They are used in pots that are wider than they are tall, in rockeries and to cover slopes facing east or west. Echeveria setosa prefers light shade exposure avoiding direct sun in the hottest hours of the day. They do not resist frost. The soil can be a mixture of 50% white peat, 25% coarse sand and 25% vegetable substrate. Always water moderately, waiting for the soil to dry completely. In winter there is no need to water. Fertilize once in spring with mineral fertilizer for succulents and cacti. Prune off wilted flower stems. The main enemies are the intense sun and excess humidity. They propagate by leaf cuttings put to root in a slightly humid sandy substrate in spring or summer and by separation of suckers. |
Images of the succulent plant Echeveria setosa or Mexican Fire Cracker |
 Echeveria setosa |