Echeveria ‘Imbricata’ (Blue Rose Echeveria)

HEADS

Common Name: “Blue Rose Echeveria”

Scientific Classification:
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Sub-Family: Sedoideae
Genus: Echeveria
Cultivar: ‘Imbricata’

Note: Echeveria ‘Imbricata’ is a cultivated hybrid between Echeveria secunda and Echeveria gibbiflora ‘Metallica’.¹

Native To: Nursery-produced cultivar (origin species from Mexico).

Growing Specs: 

• Appearance: Large, flat, powdery blue leaves with a tight rosette. The tips of the leaves and outer leaf margins have a little tinge of pink when it receives adequate light. It grows to about 8″ tall and 6″ wide. Clusters of offsets form as the plant ages.
  
• Flowering: Branching red and yellow flowers bloom in late spring/early summer.
• Hardiness: Hardy to about 20 degrees F.

Care Requirements: 

• Light: Echeverias prefer very bright light, but since they are considered tender succulents, they need some protection from full sun during the hot months. If they receive full sun all day during the summer, their leaves can burn. If exposed to intense heat for prolonged periods of time, the rosettes can cave in and shrivel up. The reason they do this is for fear of water loss.
• Soil: To aid with proper drainage, it will need a good cactus or succulent mix, such as Hoffman 10410 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mix, 10 Quarts.
• Water: In general, watering needs are little.  Echeverias are drought-tolerant. Depending on the time of year, temperature, humidity, placement, and size, your individual watering schedule will vary. But as a general rule, it needs to dry out between waterings. In the winter, I water mine 2 times per month, but in the summer, I might water once a week. If you are unsure, check the soil.
• Pests: Make sure to pull off any dead leaves at the bottom of the plant. Echeverias are susceptible to mealybugs, and wet rotting leaves are a perfect environment to welcome in pests. Keep an eye out for those little buggers! If you notice any, be sure to check out my post, How to Treat a Mealybug Infestation Naturally, for treatment instructions.

Propagation: Air propagating individual leaves is my preferred method. Check out this post here for tips. I’ve also successfully propagated it by water.

Toxicity: Echeverias are not found to be toxic to pets. Check out my Pet Safety Guide for more information.

Xylem Rising’s Observations: I sure have been through a lot with this plant! I’ve grown it in almost every environmental scenario, and I’ve propagated it a ton! There is definitely a sweet spot as far as light needs are concerned. If most Echeverias receive too little light, they will display extreme etiolation (stretching). If they get too much light, the leaves can burn and shrivel up. Be sure to protect it from intense summer full day sun.

The photo on the left is when it stretched out for the second time. The photo on the right shows it fixed after I propagated it.

Then I did an experiment. When I propagated the heads, I took one home to grow under LED lights, and I left the others in the greenhouse space I have. Which one is not like the others?

Cleaned up and grown up!

~CRK.

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All photo rights belong to Cristie R. Kiley. Please ask permission before taking.

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1. World of Succulents