Echeveria elegans

Common Names

Mexican Snowball, Hens and Chicks, Mexican Gem, White Mexican Rose

Summary

Mexican Snowball, native to Mexico's semi-desert regions, is an evergreen, clump-forming succulent with compact rosettes of bluish-silver, spoon-shaped leaves, leaves reach up to 6 cm long and 2 cm wide and are often coated with a white farina, sometimes pink-tinged in bright sun, rosettes offset freely to form a dense carpet, with tall stalks bearing pink lantern-shaped flowers tipped with yellow, Prefers 4 to 6 hours of direct sun daily, from full sun to partial shade, with gradual outdoor acclimation, thrives in well-draining, gritty soil, and potted specimens benefit from unglazed pots with drainage holes, water using a soak-and-dry method, allowing the substrate to dry completely between waterings, and avoid wetting the rosettes, hardiness zones 9 to 12, frost-free conditions required, bring indoors before freezing, fertilizing optional, propagate via offsets or leaf cuttings, used in rock gardens, ground covers, containers, and indoor displays.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-8 inches

Spread

10-20 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 9-12

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun; can be in partial sun or partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-draining sandy or gritty soil, typically a succulent/cactus potting mix.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Pink

Bloom Time

Late winter to mid-summer

Foliage Color

Blue-green with a silvery-green tint

Fall Foliage Color

Silvery-green to purplish tint

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Slow

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, division (offsets/pups), stolons (vegetative cuttings)

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and other pollinating insects