Echeverias are one of my favorite types of succulents because they have beautiful rosettes and plump leaves. Echeveria care can be tricky since their needs are different from typical houseplants (they require less water and more sun).
These are tips and tricks specific to echeveria care. For a general guide to taking care of all succulents, click here.
| Name | Echeveria |
| Sunlight | 7 to 8 hours of bright, direct sun |
| Water | Once a week in the summer, once every 3-4 weeks in the winter |
| Soil | Well-draining, porous soil |
| Temperature | Warm and dry. Not cold hardy |
| Dormancy | Winter Dormant |
| Propagation | Leaves, cuttings and offsets |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic |
Echeveria Sunlight:
Echeverias LOVE bright sunlight. Out of all my plants, echeverias are definitely one of the most light-hungry ones. Therefore, make sure the plant gets at least 7 to 8 hours of bright direct sunlight every day. If echeverias do not receive enough sunlight, they begin to stretch out and lean sideways towards more light. This is called etoilation. Etoilation is prevented by ensuring the echeveria has enough light.
South-facing windows are best for echeverias because they provide bright light, which encourages growth. Make sure you rotate the plant every few days so each side receives equal sunlight and grows evenly.
While echeverias love light, be careful if you are moving your plant from a shady area to one with bright sun because it can get sunburned. Sunburn will show up as brown, calloused spots on the leaf surface. Unfortunately, once burned, the leaf cannot go back to it’s original color, so the goal is to avoid sunburning the plant altogether. You can do this by gradually easing your echeveria to a sunny area over the course of a week. Immediately transitioning your plant from a shady area to the sun will cause sunburn.
Echeveria need average humidity- your room’s natural humidity should be enough for this plant.
Echeveria Soil Type and pH:
These plants need well-draining, porous soil with a pH of 6.0. For proper echeveria care, ensure it is planted in a well-draining soil to prevent rot. I have had good results with this soil.
Echeveria Watering:
Echeverias have similar watering needs as most succulents. Their thick leaves allow them to store plenty of water in times of drought. To learn more about general water needs, click here.
During the summer months, water once a week. Take care to only water once the soil is completely dry since Echeverias do not like sitting in water for too long. During winter months, reduce watering to once every three to four weeks to prevent root rot. Echeverias go dormant during the winter. When watering, water the soil at the base of the plant. Make sure that water does not get into the top rosette of the echeveria or on it’s leaves because that can lead to rot. If you do get some water on these areas, wipe it off with a tissue.
Echeveria Propagation:
Echeverias can easily be propagated from leaves, cuttings and offsets.
Leaves
To obtain a leaf to propagate, twist it carefully off the plant. Make sure the leaf you choose is healthy, and not wrinkled or dried out. Pull the leaf carefully from the stem, ensuring you get the whole leaf and there is no piece left on the stem- whole leaves have a much better chance of propagating than torn leaves. Allow the leaf to callous for 2 to 3 days.
Spray the soil once a week with water and provide filtered sunlight. Leaf propagations need more water and less sunlight than their parents. Do not move the leaves while they grow roots (I know, I know- it is really tempting). After a few weeks, a small rosette will form at the tip of the leaf. As the new succulent grows, it will absorb nutrients from the parent leaf. Eventually, the propagated leaf will shrivel up and can then be removed. The new baby plant can be planted in its own small pot and watered every 5 to 7 days with bright filtered sun.
Offsets
Echeveria offsets can also produce offsets (pups) that sprout up from the base of the plant. Once the offset is about 1/4 of the size of it’s parent, you can carefully remove it from the parent, using a clean pair of garden shears as necessary. Allow the roots to dry for a day or two, then replant in a new pot. Water the new plant a few days after repotting to avoid damaging the roots. Provide bright, filtered sun and water every 4 to 5 days.
Cuttings
This method is great for those echeverias that have become stretched out (or “etoilated”) and no longer have a compact rosette shape. The cuttings can be replanted to grow a more attractive plant.
Take a pair of sharp garden shears and cut 1.5 inches below the rosettes stem. Leave the stem out to callous (this will take about 3 days), then replant. Water a week after repotting, and once a week after that.
Echeveria Temperature:
Native to the desert, Echeverias thrive in hot, dry climates. The optimal temperature is from 65 °F to 75 °F (18 °C to 24 °C). They cannot tolerate cold weather and should not be left out in temperatures lower than 50 °F (10 °C).
Too much humidity can lead to root rot for echeverias, so they should not be placed in rooms that can get humid, such as bathrooms, if indoors.
Like other succulents, if you live in a hotter area, your echeveria will need more frequent watering than colder temperatures. Drier environments will also require more frequent watering than humid environments.
Echeveria Flowers:
Echeveria will flower late summer to early fall. The flower color varies.
Native Area:
This plant is native to Central America, South America, and Mexico.
Echeveria Toxicity:
These plants are safe to grow around pets.
Common echeveria care problems
Leggy, stretched out leaves on the stem
If your echeveria is stretched out and no longer compact, it is not receiving enough sun. This is a common problem with echeveria care because they are very light hungry. Transition the plant to a brighter area so that the new growth becomes more compact.
Unfortunately, the stretched out segment cannot go back to it’s compact shape, but you can keep the rest of your plant compact if you move the echeveria succulent to an area with more sun. If you want to get a compact shape back, you will have to propagate the cutting.
Echeveria leaning towards one side
This will occur if you do not rotate your plant around every few days on the window sill it is sitting on. The side facing the window will receive more sun and have more compact growth, while the side facing away from the window does not receiving enough light. The growth can be evened out just by rotating the plant every few days so that all sides get an equal amount of light.
A few dried leaves at the bottom of the echeveria
Succulents grow from their centers by absorbing nutrients from the bottom leaves. A few dried leaves on the bottom is completely normal. You do not have to pull them off; they will fall off automatically when they are ready. This process allows your echeveria to grow brand new leaves from the top.
My echeveria was a pretty pink/purple/red/(some other vibrant color) when I bought it and now it is green
When echeverias receive enough light, they can turn many different vibrant colors, including pink, purple, yellow or red. This is called “sun stress” and means that the place you brought your plant from was providing it with special conditions to reach this color, such as a lot of sun, less water, or cold temperatures.
If your echeveria has turned green after a few weeks, there is nothing wrong with it- green succulents are still healthy and nothing needs to be done.
However if you really want your echeveria to go back to the vibrant colors it had, try easing it into an area with more sun (but not too quickly or it can sunburn!). If you find your windows are not providing enough sun, you may have to get a grow lamp and put your echeveria under there. Be aware that you might not be able to get your echeveria to exactly the same color it was before- but that is okay! Your plant is still healthy.
Mushy, brown stems or yellow, translucent leaves
If you notice the bottom leaves of your echeveria are turning mushy or translucent yellow, or the stems are turning brown/black and losing their shape, you have over watered it. Your plant is suffering from root rot. This is a common problem and can be difficult to fix. Unfortunately, echeverias are especially prone to overwatering.
Allow the soil to dry out and decrease how often you water your plant. If a lot of the stem or leaves are damaged , you may have to cut away the healthy parts of the plant and focus on growing those. To learn more about how to fix root rot in detail, check this guide.
If the root rot is particularly extensive and the whole stem is mushy, you may only be able to chose a few leaves from the whole plant to propagate.
In summary for echeveria care…
Echeverias are a gorgeous succulent and one of my favorite. With enough sun and proper echeveria care, they can turn beautiful shades of pink, purple or red. Their rosette shape and chubby leaves will make a great addition to your plant collection.
Learn more about general succulent care from these articles:
Every guide here comes from things I've actually tried on my own plants. Got a plant doing something weird? Send me a photo — I answer every one.
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