XGraptoveria
×Graptoveria is a group of intergeneric hybrids created by crossing Graptopetalum with Echeveria, two closely related genera of rosette-forming succulents in the family Crassulaceae. The plants blend the soft, powdery pastel colouring of Graptopetalum with the neat, symmetrical rosettes of Echeveria, giving compact, jewel-toned rosettes in shades of blue-grey, lavender, pink and rose that are among the most popular of the "hybrid succulents" grown on windowsills.
Like other so-called nothogenera (hybrid genera), ×Graptoveria does not occur in the wild — the plants are made by growers and named as cultivars. Because both parent genera hail from Mexico and thrive in the same bright, dry conditions, the hybrids are famously easy-going, and many have become widespread beginner succulents.
Common crosses and appearance
Named ×Graptoveria cultivars combine traits from each parent in different measures. In general they form fleshy, tightly packed rosettes from a few centimetres to around 20 cm or more across in the largest kinds, often clustering into offset-bearing clumps like their Graptopetalum side. The leaves usually carry a chalky, waxy bloom (farina) that gives them their frosted, pastel look and rubs off easily when handled. Colour shifts noticeably with light and season, deepening to pinks and corals under bright, cool "stress" conditions.
Widely grown cultivars include 'Debbie' (rich mauve-pink rosettes), 'Fred Ives' (a large, vigorous plant shifting between bronze, purple and copper), 'Silver Star' (small rosettes with slender, pointed leaf tips) and 'Opalina' (chunky blue-green leaves flushing peach). Slender, star-shaped flowers on arching stalks appear in spring, typically yellow to orange and often flushed red.
Cultivation
Care is essentially the same as for the parent genera — see Echeveria and Graptopetalum. Grow ×Graptoveria in a gritty, fast-draining mix and give it as much bright light as possible; too little light causes the rosettes to stretch and lose their tight form and colour. Water thoroughly once the soil has dried out, then let it dry again, watering more sparingly in winter to prevent rot. Most are hardy only to light frost (roughly USDA zones 9b–11) and are best kept above freezing.
Propagation is easy and typical of the group: many cultivars offset freely and can be divided (see Propagation — offsets), while leaf and stem cuttings root readily on a dry, mineral surface. Because these are hybrids, seed does not come true to the named plant, so cultivars are always increased vegetatively. Watch for the usual succulent troubles — mealybugs, and soft rot from overwatering.
See also
- Echeveria — one parent genus
- Graptopetalum — the other parent genus
- xGraptosedum · xSedeveria · xPachyveria — related hybrid genera
- Watering · Soil and potting mix · Propagation — offsets · Propagation — cuttings