Echeveria ‘Pearle von Nürnberg’ on 6-29-14, #230-42.

The genus, Echeveria DC., was named and described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis in 1828.

As of 12-14-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 203 species in the Echeveria genus. It is a member of the plant family Crassulaceae with 36 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The Echeveria genus, to me, is a very diverse group which has brought me some confusion… Some are very easy to grow, others can be tricky, and just simply WEIRD! I have grown several species and cultivars and keep coming back for more. Truly, this is one genus that is worth getting to know. Choosing which ones to grow is almost like finding your niche… You have to try several to find the ones that do best for you and the area you live. Growing them during the summer months is not a problem… It is during the winter when they will get under your skin. Echeveria are winter dormant succulents which means they are most active somewhere between March-May and maybe August-September. They are dormant between November and February. Also, supposedly, they take a little break during the hotter weeks during the summer.

During the winter, they need a period to rest. This is the frustrating part for me and where I usually fail. In Mississippi, I had sunrooms for the plants during the winter which was OK. I just had to lay off the water. Here in Missouri, I have no sunrooms and not much good light during the winter. The first winter I was here I had most of my plants in the basement. Oddly enough, they did OK with hardly any light as long as I didn’t give them water. They rested peacefully. But, when I put them in my bedroom two winters in a row, the warmth and more sunlight caused them to want to stretch. One even flowered over the winter and then konked out.

So, I guess what I need to say is that I like Echeveria but they take some patience. Get to know them and what they need to survive. Some species and cultivars do this weird thing of sending out a new plant… It is hard to explain, but you have to re-root that new plant, take the leaves off the old one and let them root, too. Then you just get rid of the old stem (or not). I have photos on the following pages that explain the ordeal.

So, try as many Echeveria species and cultivars as you can. They will take you on a journey into a new world of excitement and frustration, kind of like life itself. Sometimes you will look at them and think, “What is this plant doing now?”

You can click on the plant’s name under the photo to go to their own pages…

If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, I would like to hear from you.

FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE
WORLD OF SUCCULENTS
WIKIPEDIA
GARDENING KNOW HOW

The top of the “new” rosette on the Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 4-9-13, #142-13.

The Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ was given to me by the owner of Pleasant Acres Nursery when I lived in Leland, Mississippi. The label said it was Echeveria imbricata ‘Black Prince’, a Proven Winner’s Selection…This cultivar was developed by Frank Reinelt of Capitola, California. The seed parent is Echeveria shaviana and the pollen parent is Echeveria affinis (the black Echeveria). This plant was first offered through the CSSA Journal in the May-June 1970 Abbey Gardens.

I must admit, this cultivar taught me a lot about Echeveria…

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Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’ on 8-1-11, #68-23.

I brought two Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’ home from Lowe’s in 2010 when I was living in Leland, Mississippi. They did great until I gave them up in 2014. It is a great cultivar but they need to be regrown on occasion as they can grow long stems and get a little weird. Maybe someday I will run across another one to bring home.

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Echeveria ‘Pulv-Oliver’/Echeveria pulvinata “Jasper’™ on 6-1-13, #151-36.

Trying to find a good photo of the Echeveria ‘Pulv-Oliver’/ Echeveria pulvinata ‘Jasper’™ was a little difficult. I didn’t want to use a photo of what it originally looked like because it didn’t stay that way for long. This is another plant given to me by the owner of Pleasant Acres in 2012 when I lived n Mississippi. As it grew (and flowered) most of its lower leaves fell off. That made it more interesting but after a while cuttings had to be taken to start over. You just have to keep in mind that not all Echeveria species grow the same way…

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Echeveria affinis (aka. ‘Black Knight’) at 2 1/2″ tall x 5 1/2″ wide on 11-23-12, #131-18.

I picked up this Echeveria affinis (aka. ‘Black Knight’) in 2012 when I was living in Mississippi. Its label said Echeveria affinis ‘Black Knight’. In 2013, Margrit Bischofberger of the International Crassulaceae Network told me it was Echeveria affinis and that the name ‘Black Knight’ is just an industry name and should not be used. She said it was a species, not a cultivar or hybrid… Hmmm… This plant always did pretty well despite the crickets loving it where I had the plants in 2013. It went on to flower like all was well.

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Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ at 1 1/2″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide after I brought it home from Wagler’s Greenhouse on 3-29-21, #785-6.

I found this “small” plant labeled Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ at a local greenhouse on March 29, 2021. After a few years of not growing any Echeveria because I didn’t have the right light over the winter, I decided to give it a shot. Right off the bat, I wasn’t sure if this plant was actually the cultivar called ‘Ebony’. It just had reddish tips while the photo on the label showed a very colorful plant. Photos online showed the same coloration. I thought perhaps the color would change in brighter light as time went by. After all, it was, and still is, a very small plant. The owner of the greenhouse had bought A LOT of succulents from a plant auction and this was one of them. I paid only $1.50 for this plant, but on Ebay they were listed for $25-$150… When this cultivar was introduced in 2000, they were selling for $75-$500 a pop. I guess the old saying “you get what you pay for” is very true… This plant did OK over the first winter, then died during the summer of 2022. GEEZ!!!

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Echeveria nodulosa (Painted Echeveria) from the top on 8-17-21. #826-18.

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Echeveria purpusiorum (E. purpusorum) on 6-29-14, #230-43.