Family: Crassulaceae
Common Name: Echeveria
Botanical Name: Echeveria sp.
Echeveria are the epitome of low maintenance houseplants. These easy-care plants actually prefer a bit of neglect and will do best when they are admired from afar and mostly left alone. Thick, plump leaves grow in a rosette formation and give this succulent plant a distinctive look. The colors can vary from shades of green to blue and some even display pink and purple hues. These plants bring color and texture into a space and tend to stay rather compact in size, making them ideal to display on window sills or in clusters on a tabletop.
Native to Central and South America, echeveria naturally grow in desert or semi-desert conditions, and this dictates the type of conditions they need to grow.
Light
Light is so incredibly important to growing a happy and healthy echeveria. These easy-care houseplants need at least several hours of bright indirect light each day. Remember to routinely rotate your echeveria so it receives equal light from all angles and grows evenly.
Water
Less is more when it comes to watering echeveria and this is where these easy-care plants really appreciate some neglect. Let the soil completely dry out before watering your echeveria plant. When you do water these houseplants, let the water completely drain through.
Echeveria typically need less water during the colder months and more when the temperatures are warm and the plant is actively growing.
Temperature
Since these plants hail from South and Central America it comes as no surprise that they like warmer temperatures. Average room temperatures are fine, but avoid placing your echeveria near heating or cooling vents. Also, keep the plant away from exterior doors, especially during the colder months. If you bring your echeveria outdoors for the summer, make sure to bring it back inside well before the threat of frost.
Humidity
Low humidity is ideal for Echeveria houseplants. Avoid placing this plant in an area prone to high humidity and steer clear of humidifiers. Echeveria like dry, semi-arid conditions and too much humidity can be just as problematic as over-watering.
Fertilizer
To further stake their claim as some of the most easy and low maintenance houseplants, Echeveria need minimal feeding. Fertilize your succulent once every 4 weeks during the warmer months when the plant is growing. You can use a diluted complete liquid fertilizer or a fish/seaweed emulsion.
Avoid fertilizing Echeveria during the fall and winter.
Pro Tips
- Echeveria can easily be propagated through leaf cuttings. Simply remove a leaf, place it on top of some soil, and wait. Roots should begin to form in a few weeks, followed by a tiny rosette. With time, the original leaf will wither and die and the rosette will grow into its own plant.
- Echeveria are pretty self-contained and rarely require pruning. However, if the plant does not receive enough light, it can become leggy. Pruning the plant when this happens can help restore it to its natural shape, and any leaves that are removed can be propagated to create new plants.
- While the plants themselves resemble a flower, echeveria can bloom given the proper care. Thin stalks that produce colorful flowers emerge from between the leaves of the plant. Blooms typically last for several weeks and the entire flower spike can be removed when the flowers are spent.