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Echeveria bifida (Branched Flower Hens and Chicks) - A stemless compact plant with rosettes to 6 to 8 inches wide of up to 15 leaves with 2- to 5-inch-long lanceolate leaves that are an unusual pale grayish-brown color. In summer the once branched flowering stems rise 18 inches above the foliage and gracefully curve over with stems and bracts the same color as the foliage and bearing large salmon pinkish-orange flowers with yellow throats that barely flare open near the petal tips and with succulent sepals the same color as the leaves.
Plant in full sun with occasional to little irrigation. It is cold hardy to 25-30° F.
The genus Echeveria is a member of the large Crassula family (Crassulaceae), which has about 1,400 species in 33 genera with worldwide distribution. Echeveria, with approximately 180 species, are native to mid to higher elevations in the Americas with the main distribution in Mexico and central America but with one species found from as far north as southern Texas and several species occurring as far south as Bolivia, Peru and possibly Argentina. The book "The genus Echeveria" by John Pilbeam (published by the British Cactus and Succulent Society, 2008) is an excellent source of information on the species and "Echeveria Cultivars" by Lorraine Schulz (AKA Rudolf Schulz) and Attila Kapitany (Schulz Publishing, 2005) has beautiful photos and great information on the cultivars and hybrids. It has been argued by some that the correct pronunciation for the genus is ek-e-ve'-ri-a, though ech-e-ver'-i-a seems in more prevalent use in the US.
Echeveria bifida is native to central Mexico in the states of Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Hidalgo and Queretaro. The name for the genus honors the Mexican botanical artist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy in 1828 by the French botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (DeCandolle) who was very impressed with Echeverría's drawings. Echeverría had accompanied the the Sessé and Mociño expedition (led by Martin de Sessé y Lacasta and Mariano Mociño Suárez de Figueroa) while exploring Mexico and northern Central America and had produced thousands of botanical illustrations. The specific epithet is from the Latin work meaning "forked", "split" or "divided into 2 parts" in reference to the often-branched inflorescences. Our plants from seed collected from plants in our nursery that originated from seed that reportedly was collected many years ago west of of Xichu, Guanajuato, Mexico. We grew this interesting succulent from 2012 until 2013.
This information about Echeveria bifida displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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