Echeveria elegans
Mexican Gem, Hen and Chicks, Mexican Ghost Plant, Mexican Snowball
Vigorous, award-winning Echeveria elegans (Mexican Snowball) is an evergreen succulent with tight rosettes (4 in. wide or 10 cm) of fleshy, spoon-shaped, pale silvery-green leaves. In late winter and spring, it sends up 1ft. tall (30 cm), pink-red stems which bear lantern-shaped pink flowers, tipped with yellow. This Echeveria offsets readily and will form a dense carpet of rose-like rosettes over time. A great choice as a groundcover, for rock gardens, green roofs, or containers.
- Winner of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society
- Grows up to 8 in. tall (20 cm) and 12 in. wide (30 cm).
- Easily grown in sandy, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in sun or partial shade. This succulent is drought tolerant but does best with occasional watering. Do not water when dormant. Fertilize sparingly to stop excessive growth
- Perfect as a groundcover, for rock gardens, green roofs, or containers.
- Deer resistant
- Virtually disease free. Watch for mealybugs, vine weevil, and aphids
- Propagate by seed sown as soon as ripe or by root, stem or leaf cuttings in spring
- Native to Mexico
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Requirements
| Hardiness | 9
– 12 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones | 10
– 11 |
| Climate Zones | 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Cactus - Succulents |
| Plant Family | Echeveria |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Spring (Early,Mid,Late) Summer (Early,Mid,Late) Fall Winter |
| Height | 8" (20cm) |
| Spread | 1' (30cm) |
| Spacing | 12" (30cm) |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen |
| Tolerance | Deer |
| Attracts | Hummingbirds |
| Garden Uses | Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Patio and Containers |
| Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Mediterranean Garden |
Recommended Companion Plants
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Simona Pavan, Shutterstock, (c) Gerhard Bock, SucculentsandMore.com
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
Requirements
| Hardiness | 9
– 12 |
|---|---|
| Heat Zones | 10
– 11 |
| Climate Zones | 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 |
| Plant Type | Cactus - Succulents |
| Plant Family | Echeveria |
| Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
| Season of Interest |
Spring (Early,Mid,Late) Summer (Early,Mid,Late) Fall Winter |
| Height | 8" (20cm) |
| Spread | 1' (30cm) |
| Spacing | 12" (30cm) |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Soil Type | Loam, Sand |
| Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
| Soil Drainage | Well-Drained |
| Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy, Evergreen |
| Tolerance | Deer |
| Attracts | Hummingbirds |
| Garden Uses | Beds and Borders, Ground Covers, Patio and Containers |
| Garden Styles | Gravel and Rock Garden, Mediterranean Garden |
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