Synonyms:

Echeveria Pulvinata var. Frigida
Echeveria Frigida
Echeveria Pulvinata var. Nova
Echeveria Pulvinata ‘Suave’

Habitat:

E. pulvinata ‘Frosty’ is a infraspecific species native to Mexico Northeast.

Description:

E. pulvinata ‘Frosty’ is a small shrubby succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant has a short stemm and is without spines. The hybrid has a rosette of leaves which can grow up to 15 cm in diameter and 30 cm in height. Leaves are fleshy, flat, lanceolate, pointed at the apex, pale green in color and densely covered with silvery-white hairs. Blooming occurs in late winter and early spring and blossom are borne by long stalks up to 30 cm tall; flowers are thin, bell-shaped, yellow to orange, growing in racemes. The crested form usually grows in the shape of a fan and can branches at the base.

Cultivation:

E. pulvinata ‘Frosty’ f. crestat is a rare hybrid with a rare forma and so very appreciated plant. The best sun-exposure is shade light, and the plant does not like temperatures below 10 °C so it needed to be placed indoors. 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. Remember to use perforating pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly from March to November: during the vegetative period you can water the plant (every 7 days), checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again; in winter you should stop the watering to allow to the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lush growth you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with the specifics fertilizers for cacti; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. 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 important to remove the dead leaves that fall at the base of the stem because otherwise the high humidity level increases the attacks of parasites, Echeverias are susceptible to mealybugs indeed.

Propagation:

Echeverias are one of the easiest succulents to propagate. Propagation can be done only by cutting, to not lose the mutation of the forma crestata. By cutting you can use leaf cuttings during the spring. Cut the leaves as close as possible to the stem 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 success of propagation you can cut two or more leaves at the same time. For Echeverias, is recommended for cuttings, 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. The crested form is a rare form of the more common E. Pulvinata ‘Frosty’ and is highly valued because this particular form is a sporadic variation that occurs among a few individuals in the population.