Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ from Pleasant Acres Nursery in Leland, Mississippi on 5-31-12, #95-10.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’
Echeveria shaviana x E. affinis
ech-eh-VER-ee-a shaf-ee-AH-nuh x uh-FEE-niss/af-IN-iss
NOT
Echeveria x imbricata ‘Black Prince’
Echeveria secunda x Echeveria gibbiflora var. metallica
My Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ was given to me by the owner of Pleasant Acres in May 2012 in Leland, Mississippi. I was living at the mansion in Leland at the time. The label said Echeveria imbricata ‘Black Prince’ but there is no species by that name. ‘Black Prince’ is hybrid’ and not a cultivar of a species. This plant was a Proven Winners Selection, one of the #1 plant companies…
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 8-10-12, #114-38. I was using a friend’s camera and the brightness settings were not correct.
This Echeveria 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.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ doing something weird. It measured 3 1/2″ tall x 5 3/4″ wide when this photo was taken on 11-23-12, #131-19.
Echeveria affinis E. Walther and Echeveria shaviana E. Walther are both accepted scientific names. According to Tropicos and the International Plant Names Index, both parents were named and described by Eric (Edward) Walther. He named and described Echeveria affinis in the Cactus and Succulent Journal in 1958. He later named and described Echeveria shaviana in Echeveria in 1972. Mr. Walther named and/or described 112 plants from 1930 until 1972. He had been working on the book, ‘Echeveria’ when he died but it was far from complete. It took another 13 years until it was finally published in 1972.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ with friends on 1-27-13, #138-4.
Margrit Bischofberger of the International Crassulaceae Network told me in an email in 2013 “Echeveria imbricata ‘Black Prince’ is a big nonsense.” Meaning the plant should be labeled Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ without the name imbricata. Her site does say the parents are E. affinis x E. shaviana and that this hybrid was created by Frank Reinelt of Capitola, California. She quoted the description from Abby Garden:
“Echeveria ‘Black Prince: this is the first offering of this appealing new cultivar developed by Frank Reinelt of Capitola, California. the seed parent is Echeveria shaviana and the pollen parent is E. affinis. E. affinis, the “black” Echeveria, gives the new plant its color, and E. shaviana gives the plant its delicacy. Rather than black, the ‘Black Prince’ is actually more of a dark lavender brown. The rosettes are up to 3 inches in diameter; the leaves are quite thin and at first triangular, becoming rather spatulate, to 23 mm wide, tip acuminate, the very point is hyaline yellow.”
She also stated, with the above description in mind and observations from their E. ‘Black Prince’ that the cultivars being sold today as ‘Black Prince” are not from the parentage E. affinis x E. shaviana. Click on the link at the bottom of the page for what else she had to say. It is quite interesting to read her conclusion.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 2-17-13, #139-33.
Not long after the above photo was taken, I sold the mansion in Mississippi and moved back to the family farm in mid-Missouri. Of course, I took most of my succulents but I gave up a couple hundred other plants.
FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE NAME Echeveria x imbricata:
I have no doubt the hybrid Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ was developed and named by Mr.Reinelt. The following observation is to prove the use of the infraspecific name in conjunction with ‘Black Prince’ is completely wrong.
Plants of the World Online by Kew does not list Echeveria x imbricata. So, I went once again to the 2013 version of The Plant List even though it is no longer maintained. It lists Echeveria x imbricata Deleuil ex. E. Morren as an unresolved name. I clicked on Tropicos for author name research and it said “no results were found”.
The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (GRIN) says that Echeveria x imbricata is a cross between E. gibbiflora x E. secunda.
The SucculentGuide says Echeveria x imbricata is a hybrid by M. Deleuil of E. secunda x E. gibbiflora ‘Metallica’ known since 1873.
Llifle (Encyclopedia of Living Forms) says, “This hybrid cultivar was created in the early 1870’s by Jean-Baptiste A. Deleuil … from crossing Echeveria secunda (Echeveria glauca) with Echeveria gibbiflora var. metallica and was listed for the first time in his 1874 catalog and the name was published this same year in the Belgique Horticole.”
<<<<2013 NOW IN MISSOURI>>>>
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 4-9-13, #142-12.
When I moved back to the farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013 I had a lot of tough decisions to make. Which plants should I take and which plants to give away? I knew the conditions would not be like at the mansion in Mississippi with five sunrooms. In Missouri, I would have a bedroom and maybe a few other windows. Giving up over 200 plants was not easy. I decided to take most of my succulents, most of the Alocasia and a few other plants. The day I left Mississippi was 30 degrees and most of the plants were put in a trailer. We drove 8-9 hours in 30-degree temps all the way. There was a lot of snow on the ground when I arrived at my parent’s home around 9 PM. Thomas, the friend who helped me move, and I moved the plants inside my parent’s home, in the basement, until I could figure out what to do with them. Needless to say, most of the plants remained in the basement for the remainder of the winter. I was very surprised to see how well they did in low light and 65-degree temps. I guess since they were basically dormant, they didn’t mind. Later I realized the cooler basement was better for them than less than adequate light and warmer temps where their leaves would stretch.
Before I made the move, dad had asked me to move back to the farm so I could help him and help with mom. I told him I had a lot of plants and he just said, “Yeah.” He is very hard of hearing and I am not sure he realized what I was saying or what was coming.
I knew we would all have to adapt and we were all anxiously warmer temps of spring…
The top of the “new” rosette on the Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 4-9-13, #142-13.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Crassulaceae
Origin: Hybrid
Zones: USDA Zones 9b-11 (25-40° F)
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Fast-draining soil. I used 2 parts Miracle Grow Potting soil (or Schultz) with 1 part additional perlite and 1 part chicken grit for many years. I switched to a 50/50 mix of potting soil and pumice.
Water: Regular during the growing season, sparse in winter
Flowers: Late fall-early winter
Propagation: Stem or leaf cuttings
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ at 4″ tall x 5 1/2″ wide on 6-1-13, #151-35.
Warmer temps finally did come and the plants were all so glad to get outside and so was I. I knew at some point I was going to have to do something about my Echeveria ‘Black Prince’. It was going to be a new experience cutting off the stem that had grown from the plant. I did research online to get some idea of what to do.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 6-29-13, #159-8.
This other rosette just kept growing and growing. GEEZ!
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 8-30-13, #181-29.
I had noticed that something was chewing on some of my succulents and thought it might be grasshoppers. I had not seen any grasshoppers on the plants, though, so I was puzzled. If nothing was snacking on them during the day, they must be doing it at night. So, one night, I went out with the flashlight and to my surprise, I saw a lot of crickets chewing my plants! SO, in the dark, I moved them into the shed. It became a nightly ordeal moving plants to the shed and then moving them back out again in the morning.
Being fairly new to Echeveria at the time, I thought it was interesting how the “babies” were growing from the base of the Echeveria ‘Black Prince’. There were also roots growing where the other stem was growing from the main stem.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 9-10-13, #186-5.
The above photo shows the roots on the stem coming from the main stem. This plant really wanted to be dissected so it could grow in its own pot.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 9-13-13, #187-6.
Earlier I had rooted some of the leaves that had fallen off the new stem.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ leaf cuttings scabbing over on 9-13-13, #187-7.
I decided the deed had to be done on 9-13-13. I cut off the stem and removed some of the leaves. You need to allow the leaf and stem cutting to scab over for about a week before putting them in soil so they can root.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ photo showing where I cut the stem so I can root the new plant. Notice the smaller plants at the base. Photo taken on 9-13-13, #187-8.
The above photo shows where I removed the stem. I decided to keep the older plant just to see what would happen next. I also kept the “babies” in the pot.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 9-13-13, #187-9.
This photo shows the stem I had removed and where I removed the leaves. After it was scabbed over, I inserted the bare stem in the soil.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ leaf cuttings I removed from the stem on 9-13-13, #187-11.
The above photo shows the leaf cuttings ready to scab over before I put them in soil.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ leaf cuttings on 10-7-13, #193-46.
After about a week, I had put the leaves in this pot so they could root.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 10-7-13, #193-47.
The above photo is the top view of the rosette I had put in its own pot.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 10-7-13, #193-48.
Yep, this is the same plant in its new pot. Looking very good and happy to be in its own pot.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 10-7-13, #193-49.
The babies in the older pot continued to grow and new babies were growing… GEEZ!
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 12-7-13, #208-30.
Back inside for the winter on a table in my bedroom…
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’, the older plant, on 12-7-13, #208-31.
The above photo is a very good example of what happens with many succulents in poor light and warm temps over the winter. They start stretching for more light and soon won’t even resemble what they should look like.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’, the older plant again on 6-12-14, #229-15.
The above photo is the plant I had removed and put in its own pot. It appears to be going nuts!
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’. One of the smaller plants from the leaf cuttings I took in 2013. Photo taken on 6-12-14, #229-16.
The above photo is one of the plants I started from the leaf cuttings I took in 2013. It is January 12, 2018, when I am writing this page, so I don’t remember how many survived.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 6-29-14, #230-39.
Here is a photo of one of the smaller Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ with the, um, plant I had started from the stem cutting.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 7-12-14, #231-44.
The other plants growing in the pot are Kalanchoe x laetivirens (Mother-Of-Thousands) that come up in many pots. She has her own page.
Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ on 7-12-14, #231-45.
The above photo is the last one I took of my Echeveria ‘Black Prince’. I gave up most of my plants shortly after this photo was taken. I gave them up for a reason that didn’t work out and that won’t happen again.
I really liked my ‘Black Prince’ but I realize that to be successful with Echeveria you need the right conditions. Practice makes perfect and someday I may buy more.
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on the “like” below if you have read this page if you are at a loss for words to make a comment. You can click on the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to information about Echeveria ‘Black Prince’ and Echeveria x imbricata.
The Belmont Rooster 