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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red & Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Parentage: (Echeveria secunda x E. gibbiflora 'Metallica') |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Echeveria x imbricata 'Gray Swirl' (Hens and Chicks) - This succulent forms attractive clumps to 8 inches tall of 1 foot wide rosettes with tightly overlapping blue-gray spathulate leaves that terminate with a small mucronate tip on the otherwise rounded leaf end and with a hint of pink on older leaves and leaf margins, primarily in winter. In summer appear the attractive orange and yellow flowers on a 12 to 18 inch long inflorescences that rises vertically and then arches over gracefully. Plant in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally. We have had this plant outdoors for temperatures down to 32°F but have not fully tested its frost tolerance below this but based on its apparent parentage and origin, it should prove hardy to at least the lower 20s°F . This tightly clustering plant produces offsets and has performed well in containers both in part sun and in our greenhouse, where it really excels with rosette diameters of up to 8 inches. Echeveria x imbricata 'Gray Swirl' is a name we have applied to the vegetative reversion of the variegated plant, Echeveria 'Compton Carousel', which we have been growing since 2010. 'Compton Carousel' was first thought to be a Echeveria secunda cultivar but while the variegated form has not flowered, this reverted form has and shown its close affinity to Echeveria x imbricata (AKA 'Imbricata'), an old cultivar that is considered to be a hybrid between Echeveria secunda and Echeveria gibbiflora 'Metallica'. Some nurseries have started to label this reversion as Echeveria x imbricata, which is unfortunate as this adds further confusion to the existence of several plants so named that are already are in the nursery trade, including the original Echeveria x imbricata hybridized in the 1800s by Jean-Baptiste and a form called 'Blue Rose'. For more information regarding the origin of this hybrid cross, see our listing for Echeveria x imbricata 'Jean-Baptiste'.
The information about Echeveria x imbricata 'Gray Swirl' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.
Please note that after 46 years in business, San Marcos Growers will be discontinuing nursery operations by the end of 2025 and the property will be developed for affordable housing.
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