Plant Library

Other Names:  Hens And Chicks

Description:

This clumping variety produces attractive, tight rosettes of short, pale blue-green leaves; older foliage will blush pink in cooler weather; distinctive yellow flowers with red calyces in late spring; ideal for containers or rock gardens

Ornamental Features

Blue Echeveria features unusual bracted yellow bell-shaped flowers with red calyces rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. Its attractive succulent oval leaves are bluish-green in color with showy powder blue variegation and tinges of pink. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous pink in the fall. The coral-pink stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Echeveria is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Echeveria is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Blue Echeveria will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 6 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. Like most succulents and cacti, this plant prefers to grow in poor soils and should therefore never be fertilized. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Blue Echeveria is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, this plant may be too tender to survive the winter if left outdoors in a container. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.