Echeveria 'Purple Pearl'
Echeveria 'Purple Pearl is a robust hybrid Echeveria grown for its broad, rounded leaves in dusky pinkish-purple tones. Its colour is at its richest in cool, bright conditions, when the rosette deepens to a smoky lavender edged in rose; in lower light or summer heat it settles toward a softer grey-green. A vigorous, forgiving grower, it is one of the more widely available coloured hybrids for beginners.
Description
'Purple Pearl' forms a fairly compact, symmetrical rosette of broad, spoon-shaped leaves that come to a small pointed tip. The leaves are firm and slightly cupped, carrying a light waxy farina bloom that lends the surface a pearly, matte sheen. Colour shifts markedly with the season and with light: cool nights and strong sun bring out purple, lilac and pink, while shade and warmth mute it toward blue-green.
Like most Echeveria, it can offset from the base to form clumps over time, and mature plants throw arching flower stalks bearing small bell-shaped blooms in warm coral-pink tones.
Cultivation
Care follows the parent genus; see Echeveria for the full picture. In short, grow 'Purple Pearl' in a gritty, fast-draining mix and water only once the soil has dried right through, cutting back in winter. Give it as much bright light as you can — this is the single biggest factor in keeping the colour and the tight rosette shape.
Two points deserve special attention with this cultivar. First, the purple colouring is stress-driven: it needs strong light (and, ideally, a cool-night, warm-day swing) to develop fully, so plants grown indoors on a dim sill tend to green up and etiolate, stretching and flattening. Second, handle the leaves as little as possible — the powdery farina bloom that gives the pearly finish is easily rubbed off by fingers and leaves permanent marks. Water at soil level rather than over the rosette to keep the coating and to avoid trapping moisture in the crown. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
As for the parent genus. 'Purple Pearl' is readily increased by leaf cuttings and by removing rooted offsets; a healthy leaf laid on dry mix will usually strike roots and pup at the base. Being a hybrid, it does not come true from seed, so vegetative methods are the way to keep the plant identical. See Propagation — cuttings and Propagation — offsets.
Common problems
- Etiolation and colour loss — the commonest disappointment; too little light stretches the rosette and turns it green. Move to the brightest spot available.
- Rot — from overwatering or water sitting in the crown; grow lean and dry, especially in winter.
- Marked bloom — fingerprints and scuffs in the farina are permanent on that leaf, though new growth comes in clean.
- Pests — mealybugs love the leaf axils and rosette centre; watch for white fluff. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Echeveria — the parent genus, with full care
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets · Repotting · Pests and diseases