Echeveria are the poster children of the succulent world — powdery, geometric rosettes that flush pink, peach, and violet in bright light. This handbook covers every Echeveria in our collection with the exact light, water, and soil each wants, plus how to keep the rosettes tight and the colours vivid.
What's Inside
Ghost Echeveria
Lipstick Echeveria
Mexican Firecracker
Mexican Snowball
Painted Echeveria
Topsy Turvy
General Care Principles
Frequently Asked Questions
Ghost Echeveria — Echeveria lilacina
Pale, almost translucent leaves scorch easily -- bright indirect is safest.
Care at a glance: light: lots of bright light and some direct sun for the best colour; water deeply every ~16 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-78F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: lots of bright light and some direct sun for the best colour.
Water: deeply every ~16 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-78F (10-26C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
It looks dusted with flour, which is why growers call it the Ghost.
Lipstick Echeveria — Echeveria agavoides
Red leaf tips intensify with cooler autumn nights.
Care at a glance: light: full, direct sun for most of the day; water deeply every ~14 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-82F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: full, direct sun for most of the day.
Water: deeply every ~14 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-82F (10-28C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
The red margin looks painted on, hence 'agavoides' (not an agave, but agave-like).
Mexican Firecracker — Echeveria setosa
Fuzzy white hairs trap dew; keep water off the leaves to avoid rot.
Care at a glance: light: lots of bright light and some direct sun for the best colour; water deeply every ~14 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-80F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: lots of bright light and some direct sun for the best colour.
Water: deeply every ~14 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-80F (10-27C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
'Setosa' means bristly -- the whole plant is covered in fine hairs.
Mexican Snowball — Echeveria elegans
Pink-edged rosettes stay tightest in the most sun.
Care at a glance: light: full, direct sun for most of the day; water deeply every ~14 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-80F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: full, direct sun for most of the day.
Water: deeply every ~14 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-80F (10-27C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
The powdery 'bloom' on the leaves is a natural sunscreen; don't wipe it off.
Painted Echeveria — Echeveria pulidonis
Tips blush red only with bright light; pale green means give it more sun.
Care at a glance: light: full, direct sun for most of the day; water deeply every ~14 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-80F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: full, direct sun for most of the day.
Water: deeply every ~14 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-80F (10-27C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
It is one of the few echeverias that tolerates a little more water.
Topsy Turvy — Echeveria runyonii
Leaves curl upward and inward -- that's normal, not a problem.
Care at a glance: light: full, direct sun for most of the day; water deeply every ~14 days (far less in winter); a gritty, free-draining succulent mix; happiest around 50-80F; propagate by a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base; keep it away from cats and dogs.
Quick facts
Light: full, direct sun for most of the day.
Water: deeply every ~14 days, far less in winter.
Temperature: 50-80F (10-27C).
Humidity: dry air is fine.
Soil: a gritty, free-draining succulent mix.
Propagate: a single leaf laid on dry soil or an offset pup pulled from the base.
Pet: keep away from cats and dogs.
Its latin name honours botanist Robert Runyon who collected it in Texas.
General Care Principles
No matter the species in this handbook, a handful of principles carry most of the weight. Get these right and the individual notes above become fine-tuning.
Match the plant to the light: sun-lovers go in the brightest window or under a grow light; shade-lovers go in east or north light. Wrong light is the single most common cause of failure.
Water on the plant's schedule, not the calendar. Soak thoroughly, then let the soil dry before the next drink. In winter, ease right off — most of these plants want a cool, dry rest.
Use the right soil and a draining pot. Free-draining for succulents, moisture-retentive but aerated for ferns and foliage. A drainage hole is non-negotiable.
Propagate to multiply. Almost every plant here can be cloned from a leaf, offset, division, or cutting — see each species for its best method.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I really water?
Forget frequent sips. Soak the soil completely, then let it dry out fully before the next drink. In winter most of these plants want a long, dry rest. The lift test (light pot = dry) beats any calendar.
My plant is stretching and pale — what does that mean?
It wants more light. Move it to a brighter window or add a full-spectrum LED grow light. New growth will be compact and colourful; the stretched part will not undo itself, so behead and re-root the top if you like.
What soil should I use?
A free-draining mix is non-negotiable. For succulents that means gritty, sandy soil in a pot with a real drainage hole. For leafy types a peat-free houseplant mix is fine. Sitting in wet soil is the fastest route to rot.
Is this plant safe around my pets?
We note pet safety per species in this guide. 'Pet-safe' means it is not on the usual toxic lists, but no plant is food — keep curious cats and dogs from chewing leaves, and call a vet if you are worried.