Echeveria 'Afterglow'
Echeveria 'Afterglow is a large, showy rosette-forming succulent hybrid raised by the California hybridizer Dick Wright. One of the well-known pastel echeverias, it forms broad rosettes of wide, spoon-shaped leaves in soft pinkish-lavender tones, edged in a brighter pink margin and overlaid with a fine coat of pale, powdery farina that lends the whole plant a frosted, glowing appearance.
'Afterglow' is a hybrid within the genus Echeveria and belongs to the stonecrop family Crassulaceae. It is commonly listed as a cross of Echeveria cante and Echeveria shaviana, and its combination of size, colour and dusty bloom has made it a lasting favourite among collectors.
Description
'Afterglow' produces a broad, open rosette that is largely solitary to slowly offsetting and can reach an impressive size for the genus — commonly 20–30 cm across in a well-grown, mature plant. The leaves are broad, thin and gently cupped, held in a loose spiral. Their base colour is a cool lavender to dusty pink, deepening to a vivid rose-pink along the smooth, gently wavy leaf edges, while a thin layer of chalky farina softens the surface and gives the plant its characteristic pastel glow. Colour intensity varies with light and season, becoming richest under bright conditions.
In summer, mature plants may send up tall, arching flower stalks bearing clusters of bell-shaped orange to coral flowers, which are attractive to hummingbirds. As with most echeverias, the powdery farina is easily rubbed off by handling, leaving permanent marks, so the plant is best moved by its pot or the base of the rosette.
Cultivation
Care for 'Afterglow' follows that of its parent species; see the genus page Echeveria for full detail. In brief, it wants bright light — including some direct sun — to keep its compact form and strongest colour, along with a fast-draining, mostly mineral potting mix and a "soak and dry" watering routine that lets the soil dry fully between drinks. Ample light is especially important for this cultivar: in low light the rosette stretches (etiolates), the leaves flatten and pale, and the tidy form is lost.
Because the farina is a natural sunscreen and water-repellent coating, avoid watering over the leaves and handle the plant as little as possible to preserve the bloom. Protect it from frost and prolonged wet, cold conditions, and give good airflow to reduce the risk of rot. See Repotting for general technique and Pests and diseases for keeping an eye out for mealybugs, which like to hide deep in the rosette.
Propagation
'Afterglow' is propagated vegetatively to stay true to type. The most reliable methods are removing and rooting offsets where the plant produces them, or taking stem or leaf cuttings. Leaf propagation can be less consistent with large, thin-leaved hybrids like this one, so many growers favour offsets or beheading a stretched rosette and re-rooting the top. As a hybrid, it does not come true from seed.
See also
- Echeveria — the genus overview
- Echeveria cante — a farinose parent species associated with this hybrid
- Propagation - offsets · Propagation - cuttings · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Pests and diseases