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Echeveria
Echeveria
Echeveria blooms from May through July.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Echeveria
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 4 in tall and 8 in wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
When to plant Echeveria
Plant Echeveria in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 9 to 11 range, spring means January to March and fall means October or November. Once settled, it blooms from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 9 in January.
Good to know about Echeveria
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
Light is the master control: strong light keeps the rosette tight and its pastel color rich, while too little light makes it stretch, lean, fade toward green and rarely bloom. per NC State and University of Illinois
When it blooms varies
NC State's genus page says spring to summer, but its Echeveria elegans page says winter and spring. Bloom timing is species- and light-dependent, so yours may differ. per NC State
Safe around pets
ASPCA and NC State list echeveria as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. It is a standard pet-safe succulent, unlike toxic look-alikes such as jade or aloe. per ASPCA and NC State
Overwatering is the top killer
Soggy, poorly drained soil starves the roots of oxygen and rots them. Extension guides name overwatering the single most common cause of succulent death. When unsure, wait. per University of Minnesota and University of Illinois
Easy to propagate
Multiply it easily: separate basal pups with roots, lay a cleanly detached whole leaf on gritty mix, or behead a leggy plant. Let cut ends callus first. per NC State and Iowa State
Mealybugs and aphids
The main pests are mealybugs, hidden in the crown and leaf axils, plus aphids on flower stalks. Their sticky honeydew grows black sooty mold; treat the insects. per University of Minnesota and UC IPM
What pairs well with Echeveria
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Cosmos
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Cleome
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; both offer pollinator forage.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zone 9.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; they only overlap in zone 9.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zone 9.
Tropical Hibiscus
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; echoes the pink.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 4.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zone 9.
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