xPachyveria
With chunky or faceted leaves , pachyverias are succulent with fascinating visual texture .
They can be grown as beautiful windowsill houseplants , or can even dish out as xeric ground covers in the right locations .
Whatever your plans for this adorable plant , if you ’re eager to produce one of your own , you ’ll be proud of to love that upkeep is a cinch !
Two pachyverias and an echeveria on the right. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.
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Whether you ’re cultivating these succulent indoors or out , in this clause we ’ll cover all you ’ll need to know to keep your pachyveria flourishing .
Ready for a peep at what we ’ll cover ?
Two pachyverias and an echeveria on the right. Photo by Kristina Hicks-Hamblin.
What You’ll Learn
Whether their leave are chunky or angular , pachyverias have growing requirements that are interchangeable to the succulents typically cultivated as houseplants .
If you ’re looking for canonical concern recommendations for fleshy plant life , you might also desire to read our completeguide to grow and caring for succulents .
What Are Pachyverias?
Pachyverias are evergreen succulents that work open or compact rosette form , depending on the eccentric . These plants produce offsets which give them a spreading , clumping growth habit .
As intergeneric hybrids , dissimilar succulent mintage are involved in creating these cross , so there ’s variant in leaf case , foliage color , and plant height and spreading .
In general , pachyveria rosette run to extend to four to six inch grandiloquent and wide , with the scatter of the plant depending on the number of commencement .
The leaves may be ellipse , zep shaped , narrow , or spoon form . Some have leave with pointed crown , while others have blunt edge . The leave of some cultivars have intrigue geometric angles , and others are rounded and quite chunky .
leafage is usuallyblue or blueish green , but can havetinges of red , empurpled , pink , or orange .
The foliage is cover up with a thick born coat promise epicuticular wax orfarina , which is what gives pachyverias their blue glow .
It ’s not unusual for pachyverias to produce flush , even indoors , if they are grown in sufficient Light Within .
Their flower are nodding and bell form with five petals , and are commonly pinkish with yellow interiors , hold on arching flower stems .
Cultivation and History
As I mentioned in the first place , pachyverias are intergeneric crosses between member of thePachyphytumgenus and species in theEcheveriagenus .
Such a hybridisation would be standardised to hybridzing a mountain lion and a house cat , if such a thing were potential . It ’s not – but many plants are n’t as choosy when it comes to reproduction !
As hybrids ofEcheveriaandPachyphytumspecies , these appendage of the Crassulaceae orstonecropfamily are related to legion succulent relatives , such ashens and chicks , kalanchoe , crassula , and sedum .
Pachyverias have been in cultivation perhaps as far back as the 1930s , or at least since before 1960 , when xPachyveria albo - mucronatawas described in “ A Handbook of Succulent Plants ” by Hermann Jacobsen , available via Amazon .
Pachyverias make great houseplants for indoor gardeners with cheery windowsill or mature lights , and they can also be used outdoors class round in drouth - broad , xeriscapedyards inUSDA Hardiness Zones10 to 11 .
Pachyveria Propagation
Since pachyverias are intercrossed crossbreed , they may notgrow truthful from seed .
However , if you require to propagate unexampled pachyverias , you still have options !
From Leaf Cuttings
To broadcast these succulent from leaf cuttings , remove one or more intelligent lower leaves , making certain the break is uninfected , and made where it joins the stem of the plant and not in the heart of the leafage .
You ’ll also want to pick out a foliage to remove that does n’t change the beautiful symmetry of the rosette too much .
To decide which leaf to remove , I harbor my thumb over it first , so I can easily guess how the pachyveria is hold out to lookwithoutthat leafage .
Once you ’ve removed one or more leaves , allow them to callus off , which can take five day or more , depending on your environment .
To do this , put the leaves on a dental plate or in a shallow cardboard boxwood and place them in a wry localization out of lineal sunlight . Just do n’t put them so far out of your field of perspective that you leave about them !
And if you ’re propagating more than one type of succulent at a time , be sure to judge them so that you’re able to keep cartroad of what ’s what .
With an ever expand houseplant collection , I ’d be lost without my alloy works label to keep everything identified .
Pack of 50 Metal Plant Labels
blame up a coterie of 50 alloy plant labels from the Tinsky Storevia Amazon .
Within a few days , the snub ends of the leave will commence to callus and may even start producing roots .
When the callus has formed , place the leaves horizontally , with callosity ( and etymon , if there are any ) facing down on a tidy sum or tray filled with damp succulent growing medium .
A two- or two - and - a - half - inch quite a little bring well for a unmarried leaf .
If you ’re steady down several leaves , you could utilize a larger pot or a tray , space the parting two inches aside to allow elbow room for them to originate .
Use a mister to keep the aerofoil of the growing medium moist and keep the pots in indirect , lustrous light .
Within a few calendar week , roots will anchor themselves in the potting soil and as the leaf cuttings start to wither , new plantlets will turn from the callosity .
When a plantlet has several leaves , you could transplant it into its own two - inch pot if it ’s not already growing in one .
Learn more about propagating succulent from leaf cuttings in our scout .
From Stem Cuttings
If you want to circularize a new specimen from a mature pachyveria that has multiple rosettes , you’re able to also take a fore cutting .
With this method , instead of propagating a raw plantlet from a leaf , you ’ll re - take root one of those rosette .
Use a couple of sharp , sterilizedgarden snipsto take a three- to six - inch long cut .
Trim the cutting so there ’s just an column inch or so of radical below the stem canker .
position the newspaper clipping on a plate or in a shallow box in a emplacement with plenty of air period and by from unmediated sunlight to admit the combat injury at the cut death to callus over . Place the cut either on its side or rosette down so that the wound is exposed to the atmosphere .
A callosity should shape within four to seven day , and sometimes root will commence to grow along the fore during this time .
When a callosity has formed over the wound , transplant the cutting into a flowerpot , but do n’t irrigate in good order away .
You ’ll learn more about transplantation shortly , so keep reading !
From Offsets
Pachyverias may also bring out starting time that can be separate from the female parent industrial plant and repotted as separate specimens .
Gently bump off the succulent from its pot , separate the offset using a sharp , sterilised vane , and let both mother pachyveria and outgrowth callus over for four to seven sidereal day before repotting .
Learn more about propagating succulent offset in our guide .
From Transplants
Is your pachyveria too snug in its pot ? Or are you quick to pot up a new specimen propagated from a leaf cutting , bow film editing , or an offset ?
Did you purchase a scanty root pachyveria or one that is in the wrong type of acquire average ?
If you answered yes to any of those question , you ’ll want to transplant the succulent !
You ’ll need a container that ’s just one sizing larger than the current pot ( if the specimen is potted ) , and some grow medium .
I care to make a mix using 50 percentage commercial-grade cactus and succulent growing medium and 50 percent moxie , such as pumice or lava rocks .
Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent Mix is a keen peat - free commercial-grade portmanteau to have on hand for succulent plants .
Rosy Soil Cactus and Succulent Mix
Pick up a four - quart grip from Rosy Soilvia Walmart .
And if you do n’t already have a supplying of horticultural lava rocks on handwriting ( who roll in the hay , you might ! ) , you may pick up a one - quart handbag of 1/4 column inch lava rocksfrom Bonsai Boy .
inquire what size of it pot to utilize ? Here are some recommendations depending on the size of the succulent :
Whatever container you prefer , make indisputable there are drainage holes in the bottom of the passel .
Are you potting stem cutting , leafage cuttings , or offsets ?
If so , meet the flowerpot with turn medium , leave an inch of room between the top of the medium and the rim of the pot .
Poke a hole in the metier and insert the stem or foot of the showtime or plantlet .
If you are transplant an established specimen or a bare root pachyveria , place just a small bed of growing medium at the bottom of the novel spate . If the new substratum is the same type you used previously , tease out the edge of the source ball .
In the instance that you are using a different type of potting mass medium , remove as much of the sure-enough ground around the rootage as potential .
Next , insert the solution ball and backfill with your prefer potting mass medium .
you could utilize a chop shot stick or pencil to nudge the growing medium into and around the root ball of spare etymon plants .
Make certain the foliage is above the surface of the mass medium , do n’t get over it with pot soil .
Also , to keep the pachyveria ’s foliage from direct link with the growing medium , regard adding a thin layer of lava rocks as a top medical dressing , which will also make the plant life look even more attractive .
After transplanting , do n’t irrigate the pachyveria aright by – alternatively , look a week , then after it has acclimated to its new deal , you may give it some water .
How to Grow Pachyverias
There will be some variation in the grow want of pachyverias depending on the particular cross – particularly refer sun exposure . So be sure to ask the seller if there ’s anything strange about your particular cultivar ’s requirements .
Most pachyverias you ’ll get along across have standardized needs , though .
When you bring a houseplant home for the first prison term or before you purchase it , scrutinise the foliation as well as the root ball for signs of diseases or pesterer . You ’ll learn what to look for later in the clause , so keep read !
Provide at least six hour of lineal sunlight , with some shade during the hot part of the day .
If the pachyveria is living indoors for part or all of the twelvemonth , you will probably call for tosupplement it with a grow lightunless you ’ve situated it in a shining solarium or agreenhouse .
As for water , allow the maturate metier of these drought broad succulents to dry out entirely between waterings .
However , do seek to keep your lachrymation routine fairly even or the plant life may become accented and take care less than stellar .
In wintertime , when days are shorter and the sun is less intense , pachyverias will require to be watered less frequently .
Thebottom watering methodworks well for these succulent .
Choosing a good growing medium is just as important as getting tearing and light pic right .
The growing average motive to have splendid drainage , and a slightly acidic pH of between 6.1 to 6.5 .
Preferably , the medium should have 50 to 70 percentage of gritty , mineral cognitive content from little lava rocks , pumice stone , or common sand – with the remaining 30 to 50 percent of the mix made up of constituent matter such ascoconut coiror true pine amercement .
If the pachyveria you convey base looks like it ’s planted in the haywire character of potting grease , take into account it to become acclimated for about four weeks and then repot it into a more suitable develop medium .
A spot in your place with a temperature range of 60 to 80 ° F is ideal .
Pachyverias can be damage or killed by winter cold , so if you ’re set your houseplant outside for the summertime month , be sure tobring it back inbefore temperature start to dip in the fall .
demand more tips for caring for succulents in winter ? show our article .
As for humidity , a range between 40 to 50 percent is ideal .
Speaking of climatical weather , there ’s another important growing need when make do with succulents , and that has to do with the case of container .
If you are growing your succulents in a humid surroundings , choose an unglazed terra cotta flowerpot to help the pachyveria dry out between waterings .
On the other hand , those in arid environments might want to choose glaze terra cotta , ceramic , or plastic pots to slow up moisture loss .
And there ’s one particular type of container I ’d wish to warn youagainstusing .
Have you learn precious photos of rosette shaped succulent growing in bowl - determine terrariums on societal media ?
Please do n’t believe this for your pachyverias !
There are a couple of reasons why this type of container is problematic :
First of all , roll - shapedterrariumsare design for creating humid environments . They are big for plants that thrive in high levels of humidness and moisture likefernsand mosses .
While there are some succulents that thrive with higher humidity levels , these tend to be jungle cacti such asChristmas cactiandepiphyllums – not that eccentric you would find in a desert or semi - desert landscape .
The second reason institute directly into a terrarium is a bad idea for your pachyveria is that those containers typically do n’t have drainage .
you’re able to cultivate bog plants such asVenus flytrapsandsundew plantsin a terrarium with no drainage , but if you hear growing desert succulents , you ’re die to be deal with rotting plant in no time .
or else of using a terrarium , if you ’d wish to aggroup your pachyveria with other specimens , utilize asucculent planter .
Well - design succulent planter are fairly shallow , hail with adequate drainage holes , and are not designed to hold in humidity .
Growing Tips
Maintenance
Maintenance is pretty depleted Francis Scott Key with these succulent .
One important constituent of keeping your plant life looking great has to do with how you handle it – or rather , how you shouldavoidhandling it .
Avoid touching the plant ’s leaf , since the natural crude from your fingers will damage the farina – the naturally occurring wax – that helps protect the leave of absence from sun , pathogens , and pestilence .
Another small-scale criminal maintenance task you ’ll desire to keep up with is removing any dead leaves from the bottom of the plant .
Dead foliage make smashing place for pesterer to dress up bivouac , so do n’t give them that opportunity .
As for repotting , plan to bear out this maintenance task at least every two to three years .
To check and see if the pachyveria needs repotting , off the industrial plant from its pot and scrutinise the root word ball .
If the succulent is becoming root attach , it ’s time to transplant up to a larger size quite a little . Choose one that ’s just one size larger .
If you ’ve make the two to three year mark and the roots appear to have plenty of room in the pot , you could keep the gage sizing the same , but change out the honest-to-god grow sensitive for some fresh mix following the operating instructions for transplanting above .
Are you wondering if applying fertilizer should be on your maintenance checklist ?
Offer your pachyveria a patrician fertilizer once a month during the growing time of year , using a product such as Dr. Earth ’s Succulence Cactus and Succulent Plant Food .
Dr. Earth ’s Succulence
It is uncommitted in a 16 - ounce ticker bottlefrom Arbico Organics .
Be certain to follow the manufacturer ’s recommendations for applying this product .
Learn more about how to fertilize succulents here .
Pachyveria Cultivars to Select
There are dozens of different types of pachyverias to choose from . Here are some ducky :
Jeweled Crown
bejewel crown is apprise for its tight rosettes of compact , blunt leaf that are blueish gray with a pink bloom .
A crossbreeding betweenPachyphytum bracteosumand possiblyEcheveria rosea , the rosette become more open as plants mature , with each russet scab reaching up to six inch tall and wide .
Also known as xPachyveria clavifolia , the flowers are reddish orange .
Crown your houseplant collecting with this beauty – you ’ll get plants in two - in pots available from Zaylee Gardenvia Amazon .
Little Jewel
This crossbreeding betweenPachyphytum hookeriand an unknownEcheveriaspecies has taper parting with angular feature that give the foliage a faceted look and inspire the plant ’s vernacular name , little gem .
Also known as xPachyveria glauca , this cultivar has pallid blue foliage with ruby purple tips . Leaves are hold on spiky look five - inch - spacious little potato .
Little jewel plants form clump that can reach up to 12 inches magniloquent .
The flowers are cherry - smasher in color .
To add your own little jewel to your succulent aggregation , you could find plant in your choice of two- or four - inch clay or credit card potsvia Amazon .
Find more steer on growing little jewel plants here .
Moon Silver
‘ Moon Silver ’ is a cultivar that has silvery blue to blue green foliage on lotus blossom - like stem canker .
Its oval influence leaves add up to well - limit points and have a beautifully chunky texture .
‘ Moon Silver ’ plant produce pinkish flowers .
Powder Puff
A cross betweenPachyphytum oviferumandEcheveria cante , ‘ Powder Puff ’ has a thick coat of farina cover its foliage .
Pale blue sky tinged with pink , the spoon shaped folio have pointed tips .
‘ Powder Puff ’ reaches three to five inch tall with overt rosette that grow to three to four inch across-the-board .
The flowers are purple to ping with scandalmongering center of attention .
Learn more about Pachyveria ‘ Powder Puff ’ here .
Managing Pests and Disease
Pest and disease problems are clean minimal with pachyverias , however , you ’ll need to inspect new specimen prior to purchasing or as soon as they are birth , to check that they are in salutary shape !
It ’s also a great melodic theme to quarantine new houseplant for a calendar month or so if you have a collection – sometimes worm eggs are hidden by , and pests only seem after a few weeks .
Herbivores
If you ’re cultivating pachyverias outside in a sway garden or in container , know that while pachyverias are not their first nutrient choice , these plants are sometimes crunch on by cervid and rabbits .
If deer are among your wildlife neighbors , keep them away from your cherished plants with marvellous fencing .
find out how to work up a DIY deer fencing with our guidebook .
Rabbits require a different answer . Rabbit fences do n’t need to be very mellow , but the mesh require to be pocket-size so that they ca n’t sneak through .
Use our tips to keep cony out of your garden .
Insects
louse are n’t much of a job with these succulents , but the usual suspect should be consider if your industrial plant is face discolored or is fail to flourish .
Check it forsucculent speck , aphids , and mealybugs .
The type of grainy bugs that can be most problematical are the I known as root mealies . rather of go out them on the works ’s leafage , they are surreptitious , feeding on the radical .
Check raw houseplants for root mealies by removing them from their pots and visit their tooth root arrangement – these pests look like grain of rice .
Learn more about place and controlling mealybugs in our guide .
Disease
You ’re unconvincing to run into disease issues with pachyverias if you allow adequate drainage and luminousness , and are heedful not to overwater .
But if the leaf of your succulent are receive diffused , it might be rotting . If your plant life is waste , you first need to set why .
Make trusted it is in a well - draining growing spiritualist and a container with drainage hole , do n’t grow these succulents in a humid terrarium , and re - canvass your watering turn .
Also – are you certain no one else in your house is giving your houseplants special drinkable of water ?
Some folks think that dump out an bare glass of water in a houseplant ’s land is a proficient idea , but this can lead to the plant have too much piss .
Find more guidance forhow to deal with rotting succulent in our guide .
Best Uses for Pachyverias
Indoors , pachyverias can ornament undimmed windowsills or be civilize under grow lights in other parts of the menage .
These plants are generally consider nontoxic , so they ’re good for home with favourite and young child .
Nonetheless , since glasshouse - cultivated plants are often protected from insect with biocides , keep them out of reach of any human or non - human creature that might want to take a nibble .
Pachyverias can be rise in shallow mixed planters orsucculent fay gardenswith other heavy - foliaged plant companions , such as echeverias or Aeonium .
Outdoors , provided you experience in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11 and the soil has plenty of drain , these can be grow as ground cover song , in rock garden , or in xeriscapes .
Pachyverias are in particular charming when allowed to spill over the edges of depleted rock wall .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Packing Up Pachyveria 101
praise friend , you ’ve learned everything you need to recognise about growing these succulent plants ! How about a agile reexamination ?
Remember to volunteer your flora fair to middling drainage via the growing metier and container , water when the medium is thoroughly dry , and provide lots of unmediated sun with some light shade during the heating system of the day .
Still looking for ways toincrease your knowledge of all things succulent ? We have more reading for you mightily here :
Photos by Kristina Hicks - Hamblin © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Arbico Organics , Dr. Earth , DH7 Enterprise Store , Rosy Soil , Tinksy Store , Walmart , and Zaylee Garden . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .
About
Kristina Hicks - Hamblin
