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Echeveria
Echeveria
Echeveria blooms from May through July.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
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 (not yet checked).
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
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. In zone 9, the middle of its hardy zones 9 to 11, 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; if you garden near zone 9, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 9 in January. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Echeveria get?
4 intall5 ft 7 inan adult8 inwideSee Echeveria in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Echeveria
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Echeveria about 8 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Echeveria to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about Echeveria
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
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 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Love-Lies-Bleeding
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; stands well above at 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; 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 3.5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Cleome
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; stands well above at 4 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; both offer pollinator forage.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; they only overlap in zone 9.
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.
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.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; stands well above at 5 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; they only overlap in zone 9.
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.