Mexican Snowball

Mexican Snowball Care

Echeveria elegans

Other names: Mexican Gem, Hen And Chicks, Mexican Ghost Plant

What is the plant

Echeveria elegans is a species of flowering plant from the Crassulaceae family. This perennial succulent grows in the northeast of Mexico. It is a widespread ornamental plant all over the world.

The Mexican Snowball has a thick, dense rosette of massive leaves. The leaves are elongated, spoon-shaped, and concave. They are light green with a translucent edge, covered with a light wax coating. Touching their surface can harm the plant and leave marks. The plant produces a peduncle from the end of winter to the beginning of summer. Echeveria has pink tubular flowers with yellow tips.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

15°C - 18°C

Hardiness zone

9a - 11b

Difficulty

Easy

Hibernation

Cold Period

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Water Mexican Snowball sparingly. The water should be tepid and settled. In summer, the soil should be moistened once a week. In winter, your green pet only needs a sip once a month. Be careful! If possible, try to keep the rosettes dry.
Pruning
Echeveria elegans does not need pruning. You can cut off the lower leaf plates that have dried out. This will give the plant strength and encourage the growth of leaves!
Fertilizer
In spring and summer, you can add a little cactus fertilizer to the soil during the active growing season. Feed the plant no more than once a month. An excessive amount of nutrients can harm the root system, so apply fertilizers half-strength!

Disease diagnosis

Check your plant’s health

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Sunlight
The Mexican Snowball grows in bright, dry areas in its natural habitat. It needs a lot of light! You can safely place your green pet next to a south-facing window.
Soil
We recommend sandy soil with good drainage. You may use substrate for succulents with a neutral pH. You can also prepare the growing medium yourself. Mix standard houseplant soil with coarse sand and perlite in equal proportions.
Propagation
Echeveria elegans can reproduce in many different ways. You can germinate a plant from seeds, root leaves, or cuttings. Alternatively, you can also separate a daughter plant and transplant it into an individual container.

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Temperature
Mexican Snowball prefers heat. In summer, the temperature must be at least 77°F (25°C). The optimum is 82°F (28°C) degrees. During the winter, the plant is dormant, so a comfortable temperature would be 59°F (15°C). It's best to keep the container on the windowsill so the substrate doesn't freeze.
Container
The roots of Echeveria elegans are close to the surface of the soil, so the container should be wide but shallow. Remember to check if your pot has drainage holes! You can also add some expanded clay to avoid rot and fungus.
Fun fact
It is said that the natives of Mexico grew Echeveria elegans near their homes to ward off evil spirits.