Light
Give it full sun. Echeverias color best in strong light, and full sun keeps the red leaf edges bright and the rosette tight. Indoors, use your sunniest window. In a greenhouse in summer, the RHS suggests bright but filtered light.
Water
While it's growing, water thoroughly once the mix has dried out, and let the excess drain away. In winter keep it almost dry. UF/IFAS calls winter wet the worst thing you can do to an echeveria. Water the soil, not the rosette, so water doesn't sit in the center.
Soil & pots
Use a gritty cactus mix in a pot with drainage holes. Don't put it in a pot much bigger than the rosette, because the extra soil stays wet and can rot the roots.
Temperature
Keep it frost-free. The RHS rates it as fine with cool nights but not with being frozen, and a winter rest at about 50°F (10°C), with the soil nearly dry, suits it. It can spend summer outdoors. Bring it in well before the first frost.
Is Echeveria agavoides safe for pets?
Non-toxic to cats and dogs. The ASPCA's entry for Urbinia agavoides, an old name for this plant, lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, although that entry gives the botanical name as Echeveria elegans. NC State Extension also tags echeverias in general as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses.
Propagation
Separate offsets in spring, or take stem or leaf cuttings in spring and early summer. It also grows from seed sown at 59–64°F (15–18°C) in early spring.
- In spring, ease an offset away from the mother plant with a little stem attached.
- Let the cut end dry for a few days.
- Set it in gritty mix and keep the mix only slightly moist.
- Water normally once it resists a gentle tug.
Common problems
FAQ
Is Echeveria agavoides toxic to cats and dogs?
As far as we can tell, no. The ASPCA's entry under its old name, Urbinia agavoides, says non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, though that entry gives the botanical name as Echeveria elegans. NC State Extension tags echeverias as non-toxic too.
What is Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick'?
A named cultivar of this species. The RHS lists it and UF/IFAS pictures it, but we haven't found a reliable description of how it differs from the plain species. Care is the same.
Why are the leaf edges red?
The red edges are normal for this species. They're brightest in strong light, so if yours is fading to plain green, it probably wants more sun.
Does Echeveria agavoides flower?
Yes. In summer it sends up one-sided stalks up to about 16 in. (40 cm) tall, with lantern-shaped red flowers tipped in yellow. Bees and hummingbirds visit echeveria flowers.
Sources
- Echeveria agavoides Lem.: Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Echeveria agavoides (moulded wax succulent): RHS
- Echeveria agavoides 'Lipstick': RHS
- Echeveria: RHS
- How to grow houseplant cacti and succulents: RHS
- Echeveria: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Echeveria: North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Urbinia Agavoides: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants