Echeveria prolifica (Prolific Echeveria)

{“total_effects_actions”:0,”total_draw_time”:0,”layers_used”:0,”effects_tried”:0,”total_draw_actions”:0,”total_editor_actions”:{“border”:0,”frame”:0,”mask”:0,”lensflare”:0,”clipart”:0,”text”:0,”square_fit”:0,”shape_mask”:0,”callout”:0},”effects_applied”:0,”uid”:”B0C7F48B-9865-4544-92AF-22B636D370B8_1555639174419″,”width”:3000,”photos_added”:0,”total_effects_time”:0,”tools_used”:{“tilt_shift”:0,”resize”:0,”adjust”:0,”curves”:0,”motion”:0,”perspective”:0,”clone”:0,”crop”:0,”enhance”:0,”selection”:0,”free_crop”:0,”flip_rotate”:0,”shape_crop”:0,”stretch”:0},”origin”:”gallery”,”height”:4000,”subsource”:”done_button”,”total_editor_time”:448,”brushes_used”:0}

Common Name: “Prolific Echeveria”

Scientific Classification:
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Sub-Family: Sedoideae
Genus: Echeveria
Species: E. prolifica

Native To: Mexico

Note: “This species has yet to be found in the wild and it is possible that all of the Echeveria prolifica in cultivation are vegetative offsets (and therefore genetically identical) to the original type specimen bought at a roadside nursery in Mexico in 1969.”¹

Growing Specs: Makes a great groundcover in a rock garden. Amazing terrarium specimen.

• Appearance: Absolutely stunning succulent! Small clusters of rosettes with seafoam green leaves that get flushed with pastel pink when grown in brighter light. Offsets abundantly with stolons to make new heads that form a dense mat. The leaves are tiny and fall off very easily but also self-propagate readily, so at the base of the plant there is always small new growth. Fine aerial roots form on all areas of the stems. Echeveria prolifica has a very whimsical form!
• Flowering: Bell-shaped pink-orange flowers appear in spring.
• Hardiness: Hardy to about 20 degrees F.

Care Requirements: 

• Light: Echeverias prefer very bright light in order to maintain their tight rosette form, 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.
  

  This Echeveria is more tender than most other Echeverias, so be sure to keep it out of direct sun.

• 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: Echeveria prolifica is an incredible self-propagator! So much so, I wrote an individual blog post about it!

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

Xylem Rising’s Observations: This is one of my absolute favorite succulents!

The leaves fall off easily but will literally root wherever they land. Be sure to check out my propagation post to learn more!

I also include a ton of progress photos of my journey growing this plant. Since this plant is so “prolific”, I have it growing in many different planters within my collection, and I’ve been propagating it constantly since 2017.

I’ve also grown it in many light conditions, and there is a huge difference in the color from growing it in part shade/sun, to full sun. The photo on the left was taken just after I saved it from my redwood forest home. The photo on the right was after months living in my greenhouse space.

~CRK.

If what you read was helpful, and you never want to miss when I post more species plant care tips, securely sign-up for my e-mail list here.

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

Disclosure: This post contains an Amazon affiliate link, which means I earn a small commission if purchased, at no additional cost to you. This is to simply offset the cost of running this website. Please note that all of the above statements are entirely my own, honest opinions that are derived from personal experience. I would never endorse such products if they didn’t work or if I didn’t see real, positive results. Buy with confidence!

¹Mountain Crest Gardens