Echeveria 'Lola'
Echeveria 'Lola is a hybrid succulent raised by the American breeder Dick Wright, prized for its almost impossibly tidy, perfectly symmetrical rosette. The compact rosette is a soft pale lavender-pink with a smooth, waxy farina-dusted finish that gives the leaves a marble-like, almost porcelain sheen. It is generally considered to be a cross involving Echeveria lilacina and the Echeveria hybrid 'Deresina', and it remains one of the most sought-after ornamental echeverias in cultivation.
Because it is a cultivar, its care follows that of the parent genus Echeveria and is described only in brief below.
Description
'Lola' forms a solitary, low rosette of thick, spoon-shaped leaves arranged in a neat spiral. The leaves are pale lavender to pinkish-grey, overlaid with a fine powdery farina (epicuticular wax) that lends the plant its characteristic smooth, opalescent glow. Each leaf tapers to a small, delicate point, and the overall symmetry of the rosette is so regular that plants are often mistaken for artificial ones.
The colour shifts gently with light and season: cooler temperatures and bright conditions bring out warmer pink and peach blushes, while in lower light the rosette tends toward a plainer blue-grey. In spring, mature plants may send up an arching flower stalk bearing small bell-shaped blooms in shades of yellow and coral.
Cultivation
Grow 'Lola' as you would any rosette-forming Echeveria: in a gritty, fast-draining mineral mix, in the brightest light you can offer short of scorching midday sun. Bright light is essential to keep the rosette compact and to preserve its colour; in shade the plant etiolates, stretching and losing its tight symmetry.
Water thoroughly once the soil has dried out, then allow it to dry again before the next drink — see Watering for general technique. Take care to keep water off the powdery leaves, as it can mark the delicate farina and leave lasting blemishes. Protect the plant from frost and reduce watering in winter. See Repotting for potting technique and Pests and diseases for the usual pests, chiefly mealybugs tucked between the leaves.
Propagation
'Lola' is propagated vegetatively to keep it true to type. As a hybrid it is most reliably increased from the offsets it produces around the base, which can be separated and rooted. Leaf cuttings are also used, though for this cultivar they root inconsistently and are less dependable than offsets. See Propagation — offsets and Propagation — leaf cuttings for full detail.
See also
- Echeveria — the genus overview
- Echeveria lilacina — one of the likely parents
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — leaf cuttings · Pests and diseases