Interesting to know
Perhaps you did not know the following about echeveria:
- At home, it is called a stone rose. Among the names of the flower there are also "hare cabbage" and "tenacious".
- Echeveria is often confused with another plant called "rejuvenated". Both species belong to the same genus, but the juvenile has a thinner and lighter leaf plate, is more resistant to low temperatures and reproduces with the help of whiskers with daughter rosettes. Echeveria is thermophilic, does not tolerate a lack of light, and its children are formed at the base of the stem.
- The plant itself has a neutral energy, but if you surround it with care, then a cozy atmosphere is provided for you.
- According to psychics, echeveria is a talisman. She protects the owner and his house from black magic.
- Succulent has medicinal properties. At home, it was used as a remedy for kidney disease, bronchitis, colds. And the infusion of echeveria leaves has been taken since ancient times as a sedative.
Growing echeveria is an interesting activity for both beginners and professionals. The only difference is that experienced growers can more confidently experiment with the plant by planting it as part of a flower arrangement. Observe the minimum maintenance requirements, and an exotic beauty will decorate your home for a long time.
Superstitions and omens
In ancient Rome, tenaciousness was considered a powerful talisman protecting the owners of the house from troubles and misfortunes. The flower also enjoyed good fame during the early Middle Ages. One of the rulers of that time even issued an order, according to which all residents were to grow a stone rose on the roofs of houses. It was believed that it acts as a lightning rod.
The second superstition has a negative connotation. It is customary to plant the plant in cemeteries, which is understandable: Echeveria can do without water for a long time, as it accumulates it in the leaves in reserve. Because of this tradition, many associate succulent with death, grief and negative energy.
What is it really? Like any other plant, hare cabbage equally absorbs both positive and negative energies.
It can calm those who take paranormal seriously. The rest shouldn't worry at all. Echeveria is just a beautiful plant, it is not poisonous, does not emit harmful substances and does not emit unpleasant odors
It can be kept in a home with small children with normal safety precautions.
general information
Echeveria (Echeveria, echeveria) is an evergreen shrub succulent from the fatty family. The plant is a rosette, assembled in a spiral from dense fleshy leaves of various shades (usually green-bluish), so that it resembles a rose. This similarity has been noted more than once by flower growers. Echeveria leaves are both smooth and pubescent, with a pointed tip, their length in some species reaches 25-30 cm, and their width is 15. The stem of the plant is so shortened that it seems as if a rosette of leaves "sits" on the ground, but there are also long-stemmed types. The root system of the succulent is superficial fibrous.
An interesting feature that unites all types of echeveria is that there is a protective coating on the surface of the sheet. It comes in the form of a waxy coating or velvety pubescence. Thus, the plant is protected from direct sunlight and temperature extremes. If the amount of light increases, then the plaque thickens.
Echeveria flowers distinguish it from other succulents. These are bells, collected in inflorescences on a high stalk and usually have a bright color: scarlet, orange, yellow-green. In the inner part, the flowers are of a more intense shade.They appear in spring or summer and decorate the plant for up to two months. There are species that produce buds in winter. Depending on the variety, the length of the peduncle can reach 90 cm.
The homeland of the plant is Mexico, the USA and some countries in South America. In the wild, the flower prefers to settle on rocky soils. It dwells in plains and mountainous areas in drought conditions and a lot of sunshine. In indoor floriculture, the plant has gained popularity relatively recently. There are about 150 types of Echeveria. And only a few of them are suitable for home use.
Varieties
With the help of interspecific crossing, it was possible to bring out interesting varieties of Echeveria, differing from each other in size, color, and leaf shape. The following varieties of Echeveria are grown in culture:
Graceful is the most common type. It is popular with flower growers for its bluish-green, almost white rosette of leaves with an elegantly pointed tip. This perennial grows on a thick, erect stem. Flowers of graceful echeveria are orange-red, with a yellow top, collected in inflorescences in the form of a brush.
Agave - stemless rosette of leaves, reminiscent of a star. The species has an interesting color: the leaf plate is light green, decorated with a red stripe along the edge. It blooms in small yellow-red flowers.
Lau is also stemless echeveria, the rosette is formed by large fleshy white leaves with a pronounced waxy bloom. The diameter of the plant is up to 20 cm. It blooms in large orange flowers. Not the most unpretentious look, but it takes root in the apartment with proper care.
White-haired - a species with large leaves covered with white villi. On a long arrow, bright orange large flowers unfold.
Humpbacked Echeveria is the owner of a straight high stem, on which there is a dense rosette of leaves. Their feature is a wavy edge. A peduncle with pink flowers reaches about a meter in height.
Echeveria has shiny spatulate wavy leaves of a gray-green hue. Red flowers on a long peduncle appear in spring - early March.
Echeveria Derenberg is a dense fleshy rosette on long creeping stems, collected from light green leaves with red tips. Flowers - yellow-red, appear in late spring.
Echeveria Peakotskiy is a succulent plant with a sessile socket. The triangular bluish-gray leaves are decorated with red stripes at the tips. The flowering period is late spring, the flowers are red with a white bloom.
Pillow - a variety with triangular bright green leaves with silvery pubescence. There is a thorn at the end of the leaf plate.
The Pearl of Nuremberg is a hybrid with pinkish-gray leaves. Does not bloom at home.
Bristly - a species with spherical rosettes of more than one hundred small fluffy leaves. They have a delicate olive shade and a sharp tip. This echeveria blooms in summer with yellowish flowers.
Black Prince is an interesting cultivar with fleshy green-brown leaves and alo-chocolate flowers.
Echeveria Miranda is distinguished by a variety of shades: yellow, pink, lilac, scarlet. The rosette is shaped like a lotus.
Sho (Shaviana) - the owner of thin leaves with an expressive wavy edge. On erect peduncles, pink-yellow neat flowers are formed.
Varieties of echeveria
Currently, there are more than 150 species of "stone rose", many of which are the result of the work of breeders who have received new plant species through interspecific crossing. Most often, the following types are found in home floriculture:
Echeveria agavoides (Echeveria agavoides) - this plant from its fleshy leaves forms stemless rosettes in the form of stars. The variety is interesting for its yellow-pink flowers that appear on the succulent in summer.
Echeveria glauca (Echeveria glauca) - differs in the original foliage of a grayish-bluish shade with a pink frame around the edge.
Echeveria elegans is the most common decorative type of Echeveria. It is a perennial herb with a thick stem. The initially erect stem of the succulent lodges with age and can take root. Numerous leaves are almost white, with translucent edges and a pointed top. This species forms orange-red flowers with a yellow top, which are collected in racemose inflorescences.
Echeveria Darenberg (Echeveria derenbergii) - This species is distinguished by many lateral leaf rosettes located on long creeping stems. Light green leaves with a bluish tinge have a reddish edge. Flowering - long, yellow-red flowers, collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence.
Humpback Echeveria (Echeveria gibbiflora) is a small bush with an erect, low-branched tree-like stem, at the top of which there is a dense rosette with large leaves. The edges of the leaves are wavy, the apex is pointed. Flowers - light red, collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence. This type of Echeveria is interesting for its varietal variety.
Echeveria "Pearl of Nuremberg" (Echeveria "Perle von Nurnberg") is a hybrid variety of humpback echeveria with pinkish-gray leaves. Does not bloom at home.
Echeveria Lau (Echeveria laui) - has a loose, low-leafed rosette. Due to the abundant wax coating, which gives the plant a special decorative effect, the leaves have a smoky gray tint.
Moisture, watering, fertilization
Dry air is a comfortable environment for a succulent. Spraying of both the plant and the space around it is not carried out. Excessive moisture often leads to leaf rot; they lose their waxy coating, become less resistant to sunlight. It is allowed to wipe the leaves of non-pubescent varieties with a damp cloth in order to protect the plant from the appearance of pests.
Echeveria is poured with soft settled water. In summer - once every 7-10 days, as the soil dries out. In winter, watering is reduced to 1 time in 1-2 months.
Fertilization starts in March and is carried out no more than once a month
The magazine "Miss Clean" draws attention to the fact that with an excess of fertilizers, the root system often suffers, including getting a burn. After the echeveria fades, feeding stops.
Echeveria is suitable for standard fertilizers for cacti and succulents, taken in half the concentration.
Seating
Reproduction of a succulent is carried out in two ways:
- sheet,
- sockets.
The leaf blade is removed from the mother plant with a knife. To avoid decay, the cut is dried for about a week. After that, the outer side of the sheet is placed on a wet ground. The temperature for rooting is about 25 degrees Celsius. When a small rosette appears, the plant is transplanted into a separate container.
Reproduction by rosettes is a more convenient and popular way. The daughter outlet is carefully separated from the plant, the cut is treated with charcoal and dried within 24 hours. Next, the rosette is planted in wet sand and await rooting. Echeveria propagated in this way produces peduncles earlier.
How to transplant
A newly purchased succulent plant requires an urgent transplant. The fact is that the soil for sale is not designed for long-term preservation of the normal functioning of echeveria. In the future, the transplant is carried out every 2-3 years. Echeveria are grown in universal soil for succulents. To make the soil yourself, take coarse sand, leafy and sod land in equal proportions, add broken brick. Capacity - low, ceramic, with drainage holes.
Transplant procedure:
- pour a drainage layer on the bottom of the container (about 1/4 of the pot);
- ignite the soil mixture and put it in a container;
- remove the echeveria from the old flowerpot, remove the rotten and dried parts;
- cut the sections with charcoal;
- moisten the soil and bury the plant in it;
- resume watering a week after transplanting.
Planting and leaving
If the house has a southern window sill, you should put a pot with a stone rose on it. It is better to keep the flower there in autumn and winter. With the onset of spring, it is better to transfer the pot to a loggia, terrace or balcony. In the southern regions, a stone flower can live in the yard all summer, part of spring and autumn.
A young specimen should be planted in a small pot. At a third of the height, the container is filled with drainage material, and the remaining space is filled with prepared soil. The roots are well spread so that they lie horizontally. A small layer of soil is poured on top.
Echeveria is suitable for both poor and fertile soil. On depleted soil, it will grow bright, but medium-sized, on fertile soil, on the contrary. The standard preparation of the soil mixture boils down to the fact that the garden soil is mixed with sand in a ratio of 4: 1, chips and crushed charcoal are added.
In cold weather below 0 ˚С, the flower dies, and at temperatures above this mark it stoically tolerates conditions, continuing to grow and develop. Vital activity does not stop even when the air humidity is above normal
But it is very important to monitor the condition of the core: if there is water in it for a long time, the flower can get sick and die. Watering is necessary rarely and only when the earthen lump is dry:
- in winter - once every 20-30 days;
- in summer - every 7-10 days;
- in spring and autumn - after 13-18 days.
Succulent is good for feeding, although you can grow a beautiful specimen without them. Humus (rotted compost) is poured into a pot with a houseplant, this is enough. As it grows, the flower needs to be planted. The mother's gum is left in the pot, and the overgrown "babies" are separated and planted in other containers. Do not allow a strong thickening, otherwise the rose will look as if it is not being cared for.
Echeveria in the florarium
Echeveria looks good in a florarium - a small greenhouse for ornamental plants. It creates a landscape similar to the original desert or semi-desert, where succulent lives. For cultivation, a mix is collected from various varieties of Echeveria or combined with other plants that are similar in care:
- lithops,
- havortia,
- fat woman,
- Kalanchoe,
- cacti,
- young.
For the manufacture of florarium, a glass container is taken and processed from the inside with alcohol. The drainage layer is filled up at a quarter of the height, and the disinfected soil by the same amount. Prepared succulents are planted in the florarium, and the free space is made out.
Water the plants with a small watering can and in smaller quantities than potted succulents. Over time, the flower arrangement will outgrow its capacity, and everything will have to be transplanted into a more spacious florarium.
The main varieties of echeveria
In natural conditions, botanists have described 150 species of this plant, but only a few are grown at home.
Echeveria graceful
The main characteristics of the species are fleshy light blue leaves, which are 5 cm long and 2 cm wide, a flat rosette, straight shoots that stretch to the ground with age and are capable of independent rooting. In an adult plant, the rosette can reach 17 cm in diameter, its young shoots are located on long stems of pinkish or yellow color.
Echeveria
Echeveria Agavoides
It is represented by a single rosette reaching more than 25 cm in diameter. Short young shoots usually do not appear at all. Triangular leaves grow up to 9 cm long and 6 cm wide. The colors are green with red edging. Blooming view. Orange inflorescences are located on a high peduncle.
Agave variety
Echeveria Lau
Succulent plant with a rosette about 20 cm in diameter, leaves up to 6 cm in length.Feature - plaque on the leaves, due to which the plant looks almost white. Another difference from other varieties is large, up to 2 cm long flowers, located on wide inflorescences of a bright orange hue.
Lau variety
Echeveria bristly
Shrub species, which is usually uncommon for this species. Spherical rosettes, on each of them there are up to hundreds of bright olive leaves up to 9 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. The flowering period is summer. It got its name from the fluffy leaves covered with small bristles.
Echeveria bristly
Echeveria Desmeta
Perennial with a compact rosette, bluish leaves. Over time, the shoot begins to creep along the ground. It blooms in the middle of summer with yellow-orange flowers.
Echeveria Miranda
Its main feature is the unusual color of pointed leaves. They can be bluish, red, pink, yellow. Outwardly it resembles a lotus.
Variety Miranda
Echeveria Shaviana
Outwardly similar to a head of cabbage. It is characterized by a short stem and less fleshy leaves than other members of the species. The leaves end in wavy edges, laid in a dense rosette. Blooms in mid-summer. During the dormant period, it sheds most of the crown.
Shaviana variety
Echeveria humpback-flowered
It is a small shrub with an erect stem, the rosette of which is formed from large gray-green foliage. The inflorescence is bright and large. It can contain from 30 to 60 small red flowers. Among succulent breeders, its hybrids are also popular - Echeveria Pearl of Nuremberg and Metallic.
Note! In flower shops, a mix of echeveria is most often sold, combining several different varieties. And together they can form an unusual, original composition
Application in landscape design
In the garden and on flower beds, succulents are placed independently or next to low plants. The flower is very beautiful and unusual, and even if you plant several copies, it will not create a feeling of congestion. The shades of the leaves are always soft, so the gaze rests on them.
A spectacular combination - tenacious and decorative pebbles (ordinary pebbles are also suitable). Delicate shades of hare cabbage are in perfect harmony with the gray-red-brown range, which will not be difficult to pick up even for a novice decorator.
Any object that can be filled with soil is suitable as a vessel for succulent, for example, an old children's car, worn-out shoes, a cast iron. The main thing is that the thing is clean. In cold weather, the flower must be carried away into the warmth.
