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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red & Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [E. pumila var. glauca, E. glauca var. pumila] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: Clumping |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Echeveria secunda (Hens and Chicks) - A succulent that forms attractive clumps under 6 inches tall of small, tight rosettes of short blue-gray leaves and in late spring appear flowers on 1 foot tall arching stems. The flowers are fairly large compared to the plant and have yellow petals with a red base red, giving them a bi-colored appearance. A hint of pink on older leaves and leaf margins is evident, primarily in winter. Plant in full sun to light shade in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally. This tightly-clustered plant freely produces offsets and in the right situation, it can form a large planting. We originally received this plant in 1995 from Takaya Nursery in Goleta, California under the name Echeveria glauca pumila and in the past listed this plant as Echeveria pumila var. glauca as proposed by Eric Walther in his book "Echeveria (California Academy of Science, 1979) who noted that the plant differed distinctly from Echeveria secunda by its "thinner, more glaucous, distinctly flaccid leaves". In the recent book by John Pilbeam "The Genus Echeveria" (British Cactus and Succulent Society, 2008) the author lists the correct name for this plant as Echeveria secunda forma secunda, noting that Myron Kimnach, citing recent DNA work, combined several similar species, including E. pumila into Echeveria secunda. The genus Echeveria was named to honor 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 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 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.
The information about Echeveria secunda displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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