Echeveria elegans and Echeveria elegans crest

One of the classic echeverias is Echeveria elegans, easy to grow and still always impressive and striking. Sometimes called the "Mexican Snowball" or the "Mexican Gem", the top picture shows the normal plant and the bottom picture shows a crest, in this case over 20 cm. across.

The plants are native to the Chihuahuan-Tehuacan desert area of Northern Mexico.

Enjoy your plants.

Echeveria elegans crest

Echeveria elegans can produce some downright beautiful crests. This is one of several that we have and each one has its own character.

 

I haven't had much time to be taking photos as we've been doing our annual clean-up. We're filling a 20 yard drop box with a lot of general "stuff" that's just been around too long. But it's hard work and I don't have much time for anything else. Then we plan on going to the Oregon State Fair with our son and granddaughter on Friday, followed with the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society Picnic meeting on Sunday afternoon...Whew! On Monday, I think we'll crash!

Echeveria elegans

Not an especially unusual Echeveria, it being used extensively for landscaping in Mexico, Echeveria elegans is still an outstanding plant, well worth being grown as a potted specimen in areas where it can't be grown outside. And the flowers....!

Culture is easy, but care should be taken to not rub off the white surface of the leaves when handling.

Echeveria elegans crest

A few of the Echeverias will sometimes throw off crests. These then are propagated by cuttings and grown on. This is a selection of Echeveria elegans crest. You either like them or you don't. What can I say...I like them.