About
Known by several common names, including the Mexican snow ball and Mexican gem, *Echeveria elegans* is a popular ornamental succulent prized for its delicate rosettes and striking pink blooms.
Field notes
Morphology
It is a succulent evergreen perennial that forms compact rosettes of pale green-blue, fleshy leaves, reaching a height of 5–10 cm and a width of 50 cm. It produces slender pink stalks, up to 25 cm long, bearing pink flowers with yellow tips.
Distribution & habitat
Native to semi-desert habitats in Mexico.
Cultivation notes
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant for rock gardens or as a potted plant, thriving in subtropical climates like Southern California. It is notable for producing multiple offsets in spring, which can be separated and grown separately.
History & etymology
The genus name Echeveria is named for Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, a botanical illustrator who contributed to Flora Mexicana. The specific epithet elegans means 'elegant' or 'graceful'.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- California, Mexico
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy