Echeveria is perhaps one of the easiest succulents to care for when they are raised correctly. Some of my favorite species are from the echeveria genus, and for a good reason. From bright crimson colors to lettuce-looking leaves, the variety is never-ending.
Jump to:
- 1. Echeveria pulvinata var. Ruby
- 2. Echeveria Echo, Bloody Yan
- 3. Echeveria imbricata
- 4. Echeveria gibbiflora, Thanos
- 5. Echeveria, var. Rainbow or West Rainbow
- 6. Echeveria agavoides, var. Ebony
- 7. Echeveria purpusorum
- 8. Echeveria, Mexican Pulidonis
- 9. Echeveria, var. Hearts Delight
- 10. Echeveria gibbiflora, Ruffles
- 11. Echeveria linguas
- 12. Echeveria laulensis
- 13. Echeveria Pinky Trumpet
- 14. Echeveria hortencia
- 15. Echeveria crispate, Beauty
1. Echeveria pulvinata var. Ruby
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 12 inches |
| Maximum Width | 2 feet and up |
| Watering Needs | Water regularly in summer and spring, water monthly in the winter |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining mix at pH 6 |
| Light Needs | Full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Yellow and Orange |
| Bloom Type | Bell Shape |
| Leaf Type | Hairy, pointed oval |
| Growth Type | Loose rosette |
If you are looking for a carpet of velvety red, then this is the succulent for you. Ruby or Ruby Slippers grows into a wide carpet of echeveria rosettes with elongated leaves. The margins tend to stay red year-round; however, their most beautiful colors appear under more stressful conditions.
2. Echeveria Echo, Bloody Yan
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 5 inches |
| Maximum Width | 6 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly when dormant, weekly during the growing season |
| Soil Needs | Fast draining and slightly acidic |
| Light Needs | Full morning sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and up |
| Bloom Color | Red |
| Bloom Type | Bell |
| Leaf Type | Full linear with oval pointed tip |
| Growth Type | Clustered Rosettes |
Bloody Yan, also known as Jam or Bloody Echo, is a petite species of variegated echeveria. The light yellow leaves can also become dark green, but the most attractive part of this species is the splashes of bloody red that cover the leaves.
3. Echeveria imbricata
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 8 inches |
| Maximum Width | 6 inches |
| Watering Needs | Weekly watering for prolific growth, bi-weekly watering for potted plants. |
| Soil Needs | More sandy soil |
| Light Needs | Partial sun to full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and up |
| Bloom Color | Orange Red |
| Bloom Type | Bell Shape |
| Leaf Type | Obovate or elongated oval |
| Growth Type | Clumping rosette with easily removable pups |
Also known as Blue Rose, E. imbricata is a beautiful example of echeveria with wide oval leaves, compact rosettes, and gorgeous coloring. The center of the rosettes tends to be more blue, thanks to a coating of farina. Older leaves will be more green in color, which gives a deep glowing effect to the rosette.
4. Echeveria gibbiflora, Thanos
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 12 inches |
| Maximum Width | 16 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly watering |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining general mix |
| Light Needs | Full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and above |
| Bloom Color | Red and yellow |
| Bloom Type | Bell shaped |
| Leaf Type | Undulating margins with linear shape and irregular caruncles |
| Growth Type | Single Rosette |
If you are looking for something truly dark and mysterious, then you need Thanos. This species, when under the right conditions, has a deep brown-black coloration with caruncles that are slightly lighter. Accents of yellow make this plant seem otherworldly.
5. Echeveria, var. Rainbow or West Rainbow
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 5 inches |
| Maximum Width | 6 inches |
| Watering Needs | Only when completely dry |
| Soil Needs | Quick draining |
| Light Needs | Full indirect sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and above |
| Leaf Type | Oval and pointed at both ends; Leaves can curl. |
| Growth Type | Slow growing rosette; can grow larger stems |
As a more tender species of echeveria, West Rainbow is very susceptible to rot and other diseases. This makes it one of the more difficult species to grow. However, the difficulty is worth it just to see the beautiful blues, pinks, whites, yellows, and greens that this species shifts through year-round.
6. Echeveria agavoides, var. Ebony
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 6 inches |
| Maximum Width | 12 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly throughout the year |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining soil |
| Light Needs | Full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Light red with yellow tips |
| Bloom Type | Tubular |
| Leaf Type | Ovate without spines and smooth margins |
| Growth Type | Usually a single rosette; can cluster. |
A beautiful species native to Mexico, the deep green base of the leaves contrasts beautifully with the oxblood red tips. The tips and margins of the leaves stay red year-round, but higher-stress situations will cause this species to get redder.
7. Echeveria purpusorum
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 3 inches |
| Maximum Width | 3 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly if dry |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Light Needs | Partial sun (leaves will turn brown in full sun) |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Dark red with yellow tips |
| Bloom Type | Bell shape |
| Leaf Type | Sharp triangle with thick oval centers |
| Growth Type | Slow-growing rosette; rarely produces offsets |
Here’s a very evasive species that is hard to find. You can easily find multiple hybrids of E. purpusorum however finding the original is difficult. With oxblood margins that form a pyramid-like design on the thick triangular leaves, it’s easy to see why this species is hardly ever in stock!
8. Echeveria, Mexican Pulidonis
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 3 inches |
| Maximum Width | 6 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly |
| Soil Needs | Quick-draining |
| Light Needs | Full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Yellow (buttery) |
| Bloom Type | Bell shape |
| Leaf Type | Elongated and spoon like |
| Growth Type | Compact rosette |
Similar to the fuzzy leaves of Ruby slippers, Mexican Pulidonis is a gorgeous fluffy echeveria with red margins and even red-tipped leaves when under more stressful conditions and direct sunlight. Even when not in direct sunlight, Mexican Pulidonis turns a light lime green with a white haze of cilia.
9. Echeveria, var. Hearts Delight
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 4 inches |
| Maximum Width | 8 inches |
| Watering Needs | Water when the top inch of soil is dry during spring and fall; water when dry in winter. |
| Soil Needs | Quick-draining |
| Light Needs | Morning and evening sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and up |
| Bloom Color | Reddish Orange |
| Bloom Type | Tubular star |
| Leaf Type | Semi-heart-shaped ends with linear bases. |
| Growth Type | Solitary rosette; may produce offsets. |
Part of the same gene pool as Teardrops Echeveria, Hearts Delight takes on a whole new shape. With heart-like leaves and light pink coloration throughout the year, it’s no wonder the species is so desired. The caruncles can also appear to be heart-shaped as well.
10. Echeveria gibbiflora, Ruffles
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 12 inches |
| Maximum Width | 16 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly; water at the base of succulent |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Light Needs | Full indirect sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and up |
| Bloom Color | Purple |
| Bloom Type | Inflorescence of bells |
| Leaf Type | Ruffled margins, varied spoon-like shapes |
| Growth Type | Rosette with stemmed offsets |
Gibbiflora is a type of echeveria that I tend to call a lettuce-top echeveria. They look very similar to lettuce heads that are growing but with much more vibrant colors. Each leaf has a deep purplish-pink color that fades to green at the center of the rosette.
11. Echeveria linguas
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 10 inches |
| Maximum Width | 10 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly or if dry; water at the base of the plant or bottom water. |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Light Needs | Full indirect sun or partial shade |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Red |
| Bloom Type | Tubular |
| Leaf Type | Spatula shaped; covered in caruncles |
| Growth Type | Clumping rosette |
If you want a beautiful caruncle-covered echeveria, then this is the species for you. The caruncles bend the leaves so that they look like an opening rose. The leaves are very broad and rounded compared to other leaves. The margins don’t undulate like other species of caruncled echeveria.
12. Echeveria laulensis
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 3 inches |
| Maximum Width | 4 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly if dry |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Light Needs | Full sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Red to yellow tip |
| Bloom Type | Bell-shaped |
| Leaf Type | Blunt oval with spine |
| Growth Type | Rosette with plenty of offsets |
Yet another rare and wonderful species of succulent, E. laulensis is hard to get a hold of. You’ll be fighting to get it in your cart thanks to the beautiful deep blue-purple leaves and deep black margins with a black spine on each leaf.
13. Echeveria Pinky Trumpet
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 5 inches |
| Maximum Width | 10 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly if dry |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Light Needs | Full indirect sun |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Pastel orange and yellow |
| Bloom Type | Star shaped inflorescence |
| Leaf Type | Tubular |
| Growth Type | Clump forming; semi-rosette |
Perhaps one of the most interesting species of echeveria, Pinky Trumpet leaves wrap themselves up into tubes and very rarely unfurl. When not in full sunlight, the leaves are glowing green with blue centers, but when in the sun, the leaves turn a beautiful pinkish-red color.
14. Echeveria hortencia
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | 6 inches |
| Maximum Width | 12 inches |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly when dry; water at the base |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 9 and above |
| Bloom Color | Red-orange |
| Bloom Type | Bell-shaped |
| Leaf Type | Wavy spoon-shaped leaves |
| Growth Type | Quick growing rosette |
As one of the larger species of succulent, this is a quick-growing and deep purple species that loves to confuse owners with its flower buds. Each blooming stem looks as though it is going to turn into another deep purple and lime green chick, but instead surprises you with a red stalk with equally beautiful red flowers.
15. Echeveria crispate, Beauty
Buy it from:
| Maximum Height | Over 3 inches |
| Maximum Width | 5 inches or more |
| Watering Needs | Bi-weekly when dry |
| Soil Needs | Well-draining |
| Hardiness Zone(s) | 10 and up |
| Bloom Color | Red to orange |
| Bloom Type | Thick bell |
| Leaf Type | Thick, spoon-shaped, and wavy |
| Growth Type | Rosette |
This tender species is covered in farina, which gives it a beautiful wintery look and feel. The leaves are undulate, which makes this species look a little like a small version of Topsy Turvy. Fortunately, this species isn’t as hard to find, but it can be finicky when it comes to light. Watch closely for any changes to the leaves!