Synonyms:

Cotyledon gibbiflora
Cotyledon gibbiflora var. metallica
Echeveria gibbiflora var. metallica
Echeveria grandis
Echeveria metallica

Habitat:

Echeveria gibbiflora is native to Mexico Central, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest; the hybrid ‘blue waves’ has garden origin.

Description:

Echeveria gibbiflora ‘Blue Waves’ is a large succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant is stemless and spineless and has a dense rosette of leaves which can grow up to 40 cm in diameter. Leaves are fleshy, flat, obovate to roundish, pointed at the apex, curved upward like a spoon, blue-green to glaucous-green in color and with wavy edges that turn on pink at low temperatures. The leaves are covered with a white pruina useful to protect the plant from radiation. This plant quite similar to Echeveria ‘Blue Curls’ has a high ornamental value due to its marvellous flowering. Blooming occurs in late spring and early summer and the blossoms are borne by long stalks; the flowers are thin, bell-shaped, bright pink to yellow and the plant changes hue depending on sun-exposure.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant needs a full light sun exposure but prefers partial shade during the summer. Long exposure to direct sun-light can cause burns and burnt spots. Temperatures below 10° C can damage the plant so it is best to shelter it or place it in a cold greenhouse during the winter. Too low temperatures can cause the stem or leaves to break due to water freezing inside the tissues. Temperatures between 10 and 15 °C allow the plants to enter vegetative rest which is essential for the flowering of the following year. Plants should not be placed inside the house where average temperatures of 20 degrees prevent vegetative rest. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow the drainage and prevent the root rot, the plant is prone to it indeed. The pumice should always be placed on the bottom of the pot. Remember to use a perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly during the vegetative period. Irrigation is proportional to the size of the pot, the position and the season. In Spring and Autumn the plant can be watered with a glass of water every 7-10 days; in summer it can be watered every 3-5 days. Decrease the amount of water if the plant is kept indoors or if the pot is smaller than 12 cm. The plant is used to growing in poor soils, for this reason it does not need abundant fertilization, it is sufficient to fertilize once in spring and once in summer. If the pot starts to be too small for the plant you can repot the plant in a pot 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new potting soil; it is usually done every 3-4 years. Be careful to red spiders and mealy bugs.

Propagation:

The easiest and fast method of propagation is to use leaf cuttings or offsets. For leaf cutting you can cut some healthy leaves and plant it in a pot with sand and loam. Place the pot in a warm and bright environment and in 1-2 months the cuttings will be ready to plant. By offsets you can make the cut during the spring. Cut an offset and then let it dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. It is advisable to use rooting hormone at the base of the cut to energize root development. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C.

Curiosity:

The name “Echeveria” comes from Atanasio Echeverria, naturalist, botanist and Mexican artist of the late 1700s who painted and cooperated on the discovery and cataloging Mexico’s natural flora.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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