XPachyveria 'Clavifolia'
| Light | Bright light; a few hours of direct sun brings out the blue-grey colour |
|---|---|
| Water | Deep but infrequent; let the soil dry fully between waterings |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining succulent mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Leaf cuttings and offsets |
| Toxicity | Generally considered non-toxic |
×Pachyveria 'Clavifolia is a classic, easy-going hybrid succulent grown for its plump, club-shaped blue-green leaves, which are held in a loose, spreading rosette that tends to sprawl and offset as it matures. Like all ×Pachyveria, it is an intergeneric cross between Pachyphytum and Echeveria, and 'Clavifolia' is one of the oldest and most widely circulated named forms.
Description
The leaves are the whole appeal: thick, rounded and gently club- to spindle-shaped (the name clavifolia means "club-leaved"), tapering toward the base and swelling toward a blunt tip. They are a soft blue-green, coated in a pale waxy farina bloom that rubs off easily where the plant is handled. In strong light the tips and edges often flush pink or lilac, and the bloom deepens the overall silvery-blue effect.
Rather than forming a tight, flat rosette, 'Clavifolia' holds its leaves in a loose, open arrangement on a stem that lengthens with age. Older plants sprawl, lean and branch, readily producing offsets along the stem. In spring it may send up an arching flower stalk bearing small, bell-shaped blooms in warm reddish-orange to yellow tones, in the nodding style inherited from its Pachyphytum parent.
Cultivation
Care follows the general needs of the genus — see xPachyveria for a fuller overview. Grow 'Clavifolia' in a gritty, sharply draining mix and give it as much bright light as you can; ample sun keeps the rosette compact and brings out the blue-and-pink colouring, while too little light causes etiolation — stretched stems and greener, spaced-out leaves.
Water deeply once the soil has dried right through, then hold off; the swollen leaves store plenty of moisture, so this is a plant that suffers far more from overwatering than from neglect. Reduce watering in winter and keep it frost-free. Try not to touch the leaves more than necessary, as the waxy farina bloom is easily smudged and does not regrow on that leaf. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Because the plant naturally sprawls, many growers periodically behead and re-root the rosette to keep it tidy, or simply let it trail and branch.
Propagation
'Clavifolia' is very easy to propagate. The plump leaves root readily when removed cleanly and laid on barely-moist gritty mix, and the plant offsets freely, so pups and stem cuttings can be rooted with little fuss. Beheaded rosettes strike quickly as stem cuttings. See also Propagation — offsets.
See also
- xPachyveria — the hybrid genus overview
- Pachyphytum · Echeveria — the parent genera
- Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets · Soil and potting mix · Watering