Echeveria
Echeveria is a vegetable in the Crassulaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with dry moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-11.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Echeveria
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Succulent (offsets) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Sculptural rosette succulent for pots/sun. Note: Considered pet-safe.
Echeveria is a group of sculptural rosette-forming succulents in blues, pinks and purples, easy on a sunny sill or outdoors in warm climates; propagates from offsets and leaves.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Echeveria spp.|Hardiness zones: 9-11|Propagation: offsets or leaf cutting|Light: Bright light|Water: Low|Mature size: 2-12 inches
Plan your echeveria planting
Add echeveria to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →Echeveria care at a glance
At least 4–6 hours of direct sun — a south or west sill. Echeverias hold their tight rosette shape only in strong light.
Water deeply, then wait until the mix is bone dry throughout — typically every 2–4 weeks indoors. Water the soil, not the rosette.
Dry air is ideal; humid rooms plus wet mix invite rot.
Keep above 45°F — cold damage starts below that.
A gritty cactus/succulent mix; add extra perlite or pumice so water races through.
Dilute cactus fertilizer two or three times over spring and summer — no more.
In winter: Barely water in winter (every 4–6 weeks); a resting echeveria in cool light rots easily.
Non-toxic to cats, dogs, and people.
Pet listing per the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants database.
How to propagate echeveria
Leaf cuttings or offsets
- Twist a healthy leaf cleanly off the stem (no torn base), or separate a pup at the base.
- Let the leaf callus in dry shade for 2–3 days.
- Lay it on top of barely-moist succulent mix; mist occasionally.
- Roots and a tiny rosette form in 3–8 weeks; pot up once the parent leaf shrivels.
Common echeveria problems
Why is my echeveria stretching tall and floppy?
Likely cause: Etiolation — not enough direct sun, so the rosette reaches and the leaves space out. It won't re-compact.
Fix: Move it into direct sun (gradually), then behead the stretched stem in spring: re-root the rosette as a cutting and let the stump push new pups.
Why are my echeveria's leaves mushy and translucent?
Likely cause: Overwatering — the cells have burst. It often starts at the bottom of the rosette.
Fix: Stop watering, remove mushy leaves, and check the stem: if firm, repot into dry gritty mix and resume sparse watering; if the stem is rotting, salvage healthy leaves for propagation.
Why are my echeveria's leaves thin and wrinkled?
Likely cause: Genuine thirst — the plant is drawing down its water reserves.
Fix: A thorough soak restores plumpness within days; resume the soak-and-dry cycle a bit more often.
Care profile compiled from extension and horticultural society guidance and the ASPCA toxic-plants list. Conditions vary by home — treat ranges as starting points.
At a glance
Storing & preserving
Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.
- Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
- Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting
No curated care & troubleshooting advice for echeveria yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.