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by Helen
(Germany)

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I bought this plant in a supermarket yesterday, mostly because I felt sorry for it.

I find succulents beautiful just as nature intended. They don´t need – or deserve – to be “embellished” with turquoise glitter!

I have several questions about this shamefully treated plant.

What is it?

Does it have a chance of survival with only a few leaves “unadorned”, should I try to remove the glitter or do you think it will eventually wear off?

Finally, how much water will it require in winter?

At Christmas someone gave me a beautiful orchid which was sharing a pot with a very similar succulent which worried me as I was sure the orchid needed more water than its companion.

Even though I immediately planted the succulent in its own pot and removed all the wet soil, the damage was already done and all the leaves rotted.

Having rescued this poor glittering succulent, I´m tempted to go to the other extreme and leave the soil to dry out completely.

Comments for Waxy green leaves forming a rosette like an Echeveria

Feb 03, 2015
Could be an Echeveria…
by: Jacki

And you’re right, it’s disgraceful, but obviously, they’ve hit on a sales technique that works.

You are probably not the only one to buy one of these plants because you feel sorry for it. There are also a lot of people who think that this is how they’re supposed to look, and are surprised when they do actually grow out of it.

So it does appear to be an Echeveria, which are typically this form, but sorry, no idea which one.

You will damage the plant even more if you try and remove the horrible glitter, so just leave it. The new grow emerges from the center of the plant, so it will eventually (maybe in several months to a year, depending how fast it grows) lose the paint.

In winter, these plants hardly need any water. I most often let them dry out completely, only resuming watering when they are showing signs of growth. Sign up for more here; Winterizing Succulents E-Course.

Here’s hoping that your plant recovers from its beauty treatment!

Apr 30, 2018
Echevaria agavoides
by: Erica

This is an Echeveria agavoides! I don’t know about removing the glitter but I’ve found them to be pretty hardy plants, so it wouldn’t hurt to try.