Cacti Growers Reveal Why They Love Echeveria – Including Their Top Growing Tips
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By PETER LICKORISH
Peter is a Horticulture Lecturer and self-employed Horticulturist, with a passion for diverse areas of the industry - from garden design to the science behind plant growth and propagation. He has completed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture (MHort) Award and lectures on RHS courses at Bedford College.
Contributions From DANIEL JACKSON
Daniel is the Owner of the plant nursery Ottershaw Cacti, where he grows and sells a variety of cacti and succulents, a role he has carried out for 40 years. Daniel has won many RHS gold medals at various flower shows up and down the country and was also shortlisted for the 2022 RHS Plant of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Darren is the Plant Manager at Pugh's Cacti, a wholesale supplier of cactus and succulent plants to garden centres in the UK, based in Worcestershire.
IN THIS GUIDE
Echeverias are popular houseplants that can also potentially be grown outside in a garden over the summer months here in the UK.
These succulent perennials cannot cope with frost or very wet conditions, but they are relatively easy to grow and can often be quite trouble-free plants to consider.
“I love the ease at which you can propagate the plants along with the different shapes, colours and textures that provide continued interest,” says Daniel Jackson from Ottershaw Cacti, when discussing why he loves growing Echeverias.
“Once you have a succulent, you never need to be without it!”
Overview
| Botanical Name | Echeveria |
| Plant Type | Succulent / Perennial |
| Native Area | Central and South America |
| Hardiness Rating | H2 |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowers | Urn-shaped flowers borne in panicles |
| When To Plant | April to September |
Sunlight
Preferred
Full Sun
Exposure
Sheltered
Size
Height
0.1 – 0.5M
Spread
0.1 – 0.5M
Bloom Time
July to September
Soil
Preferred
Loam or sand
Moisture
Moist but well-drained
pH
Any
Echeverias are succulent plants, which means that they have adaptations to drought or very dry conditions that allow them to store water in their stems and leaves.1The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, February 23). Succulent | Definition, Facts, & Examples. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/plant/succulent
These plants are native to Mexico and to Central and South America and this can help us understand the hot and dry and sunny conditions in which they will thrive.2Echeveria secunda. (n.d.). North Carolina State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/echeveria-secunda/
Typically grown in containers, Echeverias are a great choice for houseplants and can be grown successfully even by those who may not be the best of plant parents and who may be prone to neglecting their plants.
Fortunately, these succulents can thrive on neglect, coping well in drought or if you forget to water them.
Echeveria can also cope with being placed outdoors in summer in areas where rainfall is not too high.
They are sometimes used in summer carpet bedding schemes or in a container garden outdoors.
“I love to see succulents growing vertically – such as in gaps in walls and risers in outdoor steps, or in small frames mounted on walls,” shares Peter Lickorish, a Master Horticulturist.
“They’re among few plants which can cope well with life on their side and it helps stop water puddling in their middle.”
Soil Requirements
Therefore, you need to think about restricted watering and making sure that the growing medium or soil in which they are placed is sufficiently free-draining, but does not dry out altogether for too long.
A sandy and slightly acidic soil is closest to conditions in the plants’ native range and is ideal when growing Echeveria in the ground.
A free-draining and light potting mix with plenty of added grit or horticultural sand is essential when growing in containers.
“Pot up into a gritty compost,” says Daniel.
“I use 60% John Innes No. 2 and 40% horticultural grit.
“This mix helps to get rid of the water quickly, allowing the plant to take up what it needs and giving time for its roots to dry out quickly.”
Sunlight
Make sure that you plant Echeveria, both inside and outside in summer, in as sunny, warm and sheltered a spot as possible.
“Give your echeverias as much light as possible, as most succulents love all the UV they can get because it brings out their colours and helps keep their shape compact,” says Daniel.
Of course, we cannot exactly replicate the native environment of these plants indoors or in our British gardens.
However, by thinking about water, drainage and soil, we can keep these plants happy even in our very different environments.
Echeveria Care Guidelines
Echeverias are, as mentioned above, a good choice for even the most neglectful houseplant owners because they are drought-tolerant and will survive even when the care leaves a little to be desired.
Watering
Even if you forget to water as frequently as you should, Echeverias will generally survive in spite of your neglect.
In fact, overwatering can be far more of a problem for these and other succulents, so it is important not to overwater and to make absolutely sure that waterlogged conditions do not develop.
Always allow the growing medium to dry out before you water it once more.
“Succulents store water in their leaves and the plants draw on the water stored to survive,” explains Darren Evans from Pugh’s Cacti.
“These plants also require dormant periods over winter and water should be stopped to prevent rotting.
“If the leaves start to wrinkle, then give a small amount of water and allow the soil to dry out.”
“Echeverias don’t like water sitting in the crown of the plant as this will rot,” he adds.
“I use a straw to blow the water out after watering from above.”
Pruning
Echeverias do not require pruning.
However, you can remove any damaged or faded foliage by simply peeling these back and away from the rest of the plant.
After the flowers fade, you can also cut back the flower stems to the base.
Repotting
Echeverias can cope with growing in a small space, even in the crack between paving slabs or in very small pots.
Do not pot up too quickly, but repot when the plant fills the pot entirely and before the roots block any drainage holes at the base of a container.
Propagation
“They are so easy to propagate once you understand that any cuttings need to dry out (properly callous over) before being introduced to gritty compost,” says Daniel.
“This process could take at least 10 days in a cool spot away from everything.”
As Daniel mentions, Echeveria can easily be propagated by separating offsets that form around the parent plant.
These offsets can simply be carefully removed from their present location and planted into a new location or their own individual pots.
Echeverias can also be propagated by means of leaf cuttings, which can be taken any time over the spring or summer months.
“Echeverias and Crassula do well with propagating from leaf cuttings,” Darren shares.
“Carefully pull a leaf off the stem, ensuring it retains the curve shape of the stem in the leaf.
“Place this on some compost and in 2-3 weeks it should start sprouting roots, followed by tiny leaves.
“Plant this in a small pot and allow it to grow on. Only water the cutting once it has been potted up or until the original leaf has dried up.”
Simply break off a healthy leaf from an existing plant and place it into a pot of peat-free cuttings potting mix. Leave it in a sunny place and a new plant should soon begin to form from the base.
“After potting into the compost, do not water for another 3-4 days just in case you have damaged the roots and the water causes infection,” warns Daniel.
Common Types
Some interesting and highly regarded Echeverias to consider growing include:
E. agavoides
E. ‘Blue Frills’
E. secunda f. secunda ‘Compton Carousel’
E. elegans
E. ‘Perle Von Nürnberg’
E. secunda var. glauca
E. ‘Taurus’
As you explore these and many other different Echeverias, you will discover how much variety there is in their shape, form and colouration.
How To Grow Echeveria
Echeveria is a relatively easy plant to grow, but if you would like to grow this plant, it is important to understand the conditions that it requires.
Among the most important environmental factors are light, water and the growing medium.
Echeverias will do best in conditions that resemble their native home as closely as possible.
So, you should be looking to replicate an arid desert environment as closely as you can inside your home.
Common Problems
The most common problems when growing Echeverias arise due to problems with overwatering or poor drainage.
Although these succulents can cope with a lot, they really cannot cope with saturated soil for too long.
As with other houseplants, pests like mealybugs can also sometimes become a problem, so these are something else to watch out for when growing these plants.
Reviving A Dying Plant
The first step in trying to save a dying echeveria plant is identifying the cause of the issue.
If there is a problem with the environmental conditions such as poor drainage or waterlogging, then repotting or moving the plant to a more suitable location may allow the plant to recover.
If there has been a problem with the care of the plant, amending your own practices could also allow a plant to come back from the brink.
Always try these things before giving up on your plant altogether.
Even plants showing signs of severe water stress may be propagated from some of their upper leaves as cuttings.
