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Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’

Echeveria agavoides

ech-eh-VER-ee-a   ah-gav-OH-id-eez

Echeveria agavoides Lem. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Echeveria. It was named and described as such by Antoine Charles Lemaire in L’Illustration Horticole in 1863.

Accepted Infraspecific Names (4) (Updated on 12-13-23 from Plants of the World Online): *Echeveria agavoides var. agavoides (autonym), Echeveria agavoides var. corderoyi (Baker) Poelln., Echeveria agavoides var. multifida E.Walther, Echeveria agavoides var. prolifera E.Walther. *When an infraspecific taxon is named, an autonym (“type-specimen”) is automatically generated that is closest to the original species. All have their own list of synonyms.

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

The original Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ was wild collected from a habitat near Coahuila, Mexico, by John Trager and Myron Kimnach. It was first distributed by the International Succulent Introduction (ISI 92-44).

As of 12-14-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online by Kew 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.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AND GROWING RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING.

I brought this plant labeled Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ home from Wagler’s Greenhouse, one of three local greenhouses, on March 29 (2021). It has been several years since I have grown any Echeveria because I didn’t have adequate light for them over the winter. That changed when I built a new plant shelf for a south-facing window so I thought I would give this cultivar a shot.

This Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ measured 1 1/2″ tall x 3 3/4″ wide when I brought it home and it is in a 4″ diameter x 3 1/2″ tall pot. I will have to replace its potting soil with a more suitable mixture for succulents and check its roots for a plug wrapper. I don’t like leaving the plug wrappers for their roots to try to grow through.

The owner of Wagler’s had bought quite a few cactus and succulents from an auction rather than a grower. Well, I shouldn’t say that because maybe a grower sold them at the auction. Anyway, the tags in the pots were generic in the sense that they didn’t have a grower’s name on them. The point I am trying to make is that this little Echeveria may not be ‘Ebony’ at all… In my opinion, if the original grower knew these were ‘Ebony’, they likely wouldn’t have wound up at an auction. But, you never know. When this cultivar was first introduced in 2000, ‘Ebony’ was selling for $75-$500 a pop, depending on where you were from and how bad you wanted one. Over the last few years, tissure culture has dramatically increased its availability. When I wrote this page on April 8 (2021), there were listings on Ebay for $25 and up, one even for $150… What did I pay? $1.50.

Echeveria agavoides is one of the smaller species, growing to an average of only 5″ tall x 8″ wide at maturity. The species is normally solitary and rarely produces offsets. There are several cultivars of Echeveria agavoides available, but ‘Ebony’ is unique in that it has darker reddish-purple to near black coloration around half its leaf margins and toward the tip. Brighter light and cooler temperatures deepen the color.

So, if the plant I brought home is actually an Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’, its color will definitely have to change A LOT! Time will tell… 

Hmmm… OK, so I mentioned I brought this Echeveria home from Wagler’s in March and its color was somewhat off compared to what the label (and online sources) show. Well, since it was April the plant had to stay in the house until temps warmed up. Once it was warm enough I put it on the front porch with the other succulents (and a few other plants). The cactus goes on the back porch. Mind you, it was May and the temps were still somewhat cool. If evening temperatures are going to get too cool I move the plants back inside. The front porch is fairly shady with a little direct sun in the afternoon. I would pretty much call it light shade. Even plants that need to be acclimated to more sun in the spring would do GREAT on the front porch. Well, after a few days, I noticed the leaves on this plant had burned. It looked as if they had been scalded, like if they were wet and the sun boiled their leaves. So, here is a plant that requires full sun to light shade for it to do its best and the color to be more pronounced. How do you do that if the leaves are prone to burning? On the other hand, maybe the temperature was too cold? Well, I am pretty sure that wasn’t the case… At any rate, this plant was not very photogenic for a while but when it started growing new leaves I knew it would grow out of it.

Despite our rocky start, the plant has grown to 2″ tall x 4 1/4″ wide. That is 1/2″ in both directions.

This is a photo of the label that is in the pot with the plant. As I mentioned, it is a generic label and the owner at Wagler’s had bought a lot of plants at the auction, including this one. This plant may not be an Echeveria agavoides ‘Ebony’ at all.

This plant made it through the first winter but died over the summer of 2022…

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Crassulaceae.
Origin: Selection from plants near Coahuila, Mexico.
Zones: USDA Zones 9b-11 (25 to 40° F/-3.8 to 4.5° C).
Size: Approximately 5-6” tall x 8” wide.
Light: Sun to light shade.
Soil: Fast-draining. Good quality potting soil amended with pumice (50/50) or additional perlite and chicken grit (2-1-1).
Water: Average in the summer and barely in the winter. 

You can read my Cactus Talk & Update and Cactus & Succulent Tips to get my opinion about growing cactus and succulents.

When you bring your new plants home from the store, you need to check their roots and the soil to see if they are wet. If so, you may want to re-pot it right away. It is advisable to re-pot them in a better potting soil more suitable for cactus and succulents.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus, species, and/or cultivar of this plant. If you notice I made an error, please let me know. Of course, you can always send me an email at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL CRASSULACEAE NETWORK
LLIFLE (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIVING FORMS)
DAVE’S GARDEN
GARDENIA
MARRIED TO PLANTS
EPIC GARDENING
SPIKY OBSESSION

NOTE: The figures may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is the most reliable and up-to-date plant database and they make updates on a regular basis. I make updates at least once a year and when I write new pages and add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂