Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name.

Habitat:

Echeveria ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested is a nursery variety and thus doesn’t exist in nature.

Description:

Echeveria ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested is a tiny succulent, highly sought after by collectors for its odd, peculiar shape. The main peculiarity of this variety lays in its crest. “Crestata” and “Monstruosa” varieties are the result of a phenomenon called “Fasciation”. Fasciation is an abnormal growth condition of vascular plants where the apical meristem, or either cellular tissues of other vegetative and flowering buds, produces new cells in only two opposite directions, becoming elongated and flattened perpendicularly to the normal direction of cellular growth. In Echeveria ‘Fantasia Clair’, the genetic mutation affect the rosette that, instead of having the typical, symmetric, circular shape, becomes abnormally elongated, creating a fan-shaped form. If it weren’t for this oddity, Echeveria ‘Fantasia Clair’ would be quite similar to any other Echeveria: a clump of rosettes of green succulent leaves, densely packed on the stem, very decorative. It’s difficult, though, to see it in bloom: crested varieties don’t bloom very frequently.

Cultivation:

All Echeverias are tough plants, used to harsh environments such as the highlands of Mexico and some regions of South America. However, crested forms are usually more delicate, and you’ll have to pay more attention. Here below are our cultivation tips:

Put it in a bright spot. Avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours of Summer days, as it might damage the stem. Also, if you move it outdoors, exposed to direct light, in Spring, do it gradually to avoid scorchs and sunburns.
E. ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested can stand temperatures down to 5ºC. We thus advice to grow it in a pot, so that in winter you can simply move it indoors to protect it from cold.
Water your E. ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested abundantly in summer, around twice a week, waiting always for the substrate to dry up completely before each irrigation. In Autumn, gradually decrease the watering frequency until completely suspending any irrigation in winter, unless you a shrivelling of the leaves: in that case, provide some water though out of season. There must never be stagnant water trapped in the rosette! During the irrigation, therefore, pay attention not to wet the leaves.
Echeveria ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested needs a well-drained substrate: a specific succulent mix will do good, or either a standard substrate with some perlite, pumice, and sand added. It should be richer in nutrient than for other succulent species.
Fertilize once a year, during spring and summer, with a product specific for succulents, rich in potassium and phosphorus and poor in nitrogen.
Repot once a year in Spring to provide fresh soil.

Propagation:

The propagation of E. ‘Fantasia Clair’ f. crested is usually carried out by cuttings: in particular, leaf or stem cuttings. Being a crested form, it might be more difficult to obtain success.

Curiosity:

The genus name “Echeveria” comes from a mexican painter called “Attanasio Echeverria”, who was also a botanist and was famous for its paintings of plants.

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