Colorful Echeverias

March is a wonderful time in the year for succulents that offer beautiful blossoms and colorful rosettes. No garden is complete without the many varieties of Echeverias. Native to Mexico and northwestern South America, these ruffled, lettuce-shaped plants offer a unique and decorative accent to any home and garden. As a low-maintenance succulent, the Echeveria species can easily be propagated by removing their offsets or “babies” from the mother plant. Other methods of propagation would be leaf cuttings and by seed if they are not hybrids. Your garden will have an abundance of new Echeverias for you to enjoy every year.

To help your collection of Echeverias thrive every year, water them only when the soil is dry. During the summer, water them more frequently. Although Echeverias are hardy plants, they enjoy filtered sunlight and temperatures that are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. While some varieties such as Echeveria hybrid “Mauna Loa” can tolerate more sun, most of these plants enjoy shade to filtered light. Always use a well-drained potting soil that contains coarse sand, potting mix, and pumice to allow the water to drain thoroughly. To keep the rosette, compact shape of Echeverias, remove any offsets and replant them in the soil.

The striking colors and beautiful rosette shapes make Echeverias wonderful additions to your home. During the summer, these succulents have tall flower stalks that range from pink to orange blossoms. Landscapers often arrange different types such as Echeveria elegans“Hen n Chicks,” Echeveria hybrid “Perle von Nuernberg, and Echeveria harmsii “Red Velvet” in creative designs. Due to their simple care, most gardeners regardless of their degree of experience choose the Echeverias as lovely assets to their garden.