Echeveria pulidonis
| Light | Bright light to a little direct sun; ample light keeps the rosette tight and the red leaf-margins vivid |
|---|---|
| Water | "Soak and dry" — water thoroughly, then let the soil dry out completely; reduce in winter |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; happiest around USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Leaf cuttings, offsets and seed |
| Toxicity | Generally considered non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Echeveria pulidonis is a compact, freely-offsetting rosette succulent from the states of Puebla and Veracruz in central Mexico. Its pale blue-green, spoon-shaped leaves are neatly outlined in a thin red margin, and in late winter to spring it throws up arching stems of bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers. Tough, forgiving and quick to fill a pot with pups, it is one of the easiest and most rewarding Echeveria for beginners.
Description
Echeveria pulidonis forms a tidy, more-or-less flat rosette typically around 10–15 cm across, made up of broad, spoon-shaped (spatulate) leaves. The leaves are firm and slightly cupped, coated in a fine powdery bloom (farina) that gives them their soft blue-green to grey-green colour. Each leaf carries a small pointed tip and a crisp red edge that intensifies in bright light and cooler weather — the plant's signature feature.
Unlike many prized Echeveria, it is not shy about offsetting: mature plants cluster readily from the base, quickly forming a clump of little rosettes. In spring the rosette sends up one or more arching flower stalks (cymes) hung with waxy, urn-shaped yellow flowers, often flushed reddish or orange toward the base.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to central Mexico, where it grows on rocky slopes and cliff faces in the states of Puebla and Veracruz. Like most Echeveria, it is adapted to bright, seasonally dry conditions with sharp drainage, rooting into thin gritty soil and rock crevices rather than rich ground.
Cultivation
Echeveria pulidonis is an excellent starter succulent — undemanding and forgiving of the occasional mistake. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a pot with drainage holes, and give it as much bright light as you can: plenty of light keeps the rosette compact and the red margins bright, while too little causes the plant to stretch (etiolate) and pale.
Water using the "soak and dry" approach — wet the soil thoroughly, then wait until it has dried out completely before watering again. Take care to keep water out of the powdery rosette centre where it can sit and cause rot, and cut back watering in winter when growth slows. Protect from frost; in cold climates grow it in a container that can come indoors or into a bright greenhouse for winter. Handle the leaves as little as possible, as fingerprints in the farina do not grow back until the leaf is replaced. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
E. pulidonis is very easy to increase:
- Offsets — the simplest route. Separate the clustered pups once they have a few roots and pot them up; see Propagation — offsets.
- Leaf cuttings — gently twist off a whole, healthy leaf, let the wound callus for a day or two, then lay it on barely-moist gritty mix; tiny rosettes and roots form at the base. See Propagation — cuttings.
- Seed — possible but slower and less predictable, and hybrids will not come true; see Propagation — seed.
Cultivars and hybrids
Echeveria pulidonis is used as a parent in hybridising because it passes on its neat form and red leaf-edges; the cross Echeveria 'Agavoides × Pulidonis' (E. agavoides × E. pulidonis) is a widely-grown example. Clean, well-grown clumps are common and inexpensive in the hobby.
Common problems
- Rot — the usual cause of loss, from overwatering, a slow-draining mix, or water trapped in the crown; the base or centre turns soft and brown.
- Etiolation — too little light stretches the rosette, spaces out the leaves and fades the red margins.
- Pests — mealybugs love the sheltered leaf axils and rosette centre (white cottony fluff), and root mealybugs can hide in the soil; watch also for aphids on the flower stalks.
- Lost bloom — rubbed or wiped leaves lose their protective farina in that spot permanently, so handle by the base.
See also
- Echeveria — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting
- Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — seed
- Pests and diseases