The Echeveria Elegans, or the White Mexican Rose, is one of the most beautiful succulent plants in the world. Fortunately for us plant amateurs, this beauty is a beginner-friendly plant, so you won’t have too much trouble when growing it both indoors or outdoors.
To take care of an Echeveria Elegans plant, keep in mind the following guidelines:
- Water: water only when you notice that the soil is dry. This shouldn’t be more than 2 times per week. Avoid overwatering.
- Light: it should get at least 3 or 4 hours of direct sunlight exposure daily.
- Soil: they prefer well-drained soil. A standard potting mix with perlite is recommended.
Although the caring guidelines to grow an Echeveria Elegans are quite simple, perhaps you are curious to learn more about how to propagate this plant or how often you should repot it. In this guide, we cover everything you need to know to grow a stunning White Mexican rose in your home.
Echeveria Elegans Caring Guidelines
The tasks to keep your plant thriving can be divided into the following basic caring topics:
- Watering
- Light and Placement
- Temperature
- Soil and Fertilization
- Repotting
After we go through them, you can then find, at the end of this guide, the most frequently asked questions (and answers) related to this lovely succulent.
Watering: use the “Soak and Dry” method
Succulents like the Echeveria Elegans are very sensitive to overwatering. Its root system is not designed to absorb a significant amount of water, that is why you should always check the soil moisture before watering. Moreover, if you notice that the soil is moist, you can skip this task for the day and your plant will appreciate it.
When in doubt, a very useful tip when watering succulents is to use a chopstick to verify how moist or dry the soil is. First, poke it into the soil, then take it out. If you notice that the chopstick comes out with soil particles, then there is no need for watering just yet.
As mentioned above, watering shouldn’t be needed more than twice per week. However, this frequency can change depending on where you live and the environment surrounding your plant. For instance, if you live in a hot place or it is summertime, your plant will get thirsty more often, hence it will need a more frequent watering schedule.
On the other hand, if you live in a cold place or when winter comes, watering can be spaced out for weeks as they will enter dormancy.
Light and Placement
The Echeveria Elegans is known for its strong preference for direct sunlight exposure. So they will enjoy being outdoors or on a terrace. When kept indoors and especially during the winter, make sure that your plant gets at least 3 to 4 hours of direct sunlight, this is necessary to boost its growth and keep it healthy.
Needless to say, avoid placing your plan in dark rooms or bathrooms that don’t have a window where the sunlight hits during the day. Also, you should be very mindful when switching its location and avoid drastic changes, as they are very sensitive to light exposure adjustments.
Temperature
As with other succulents, the Echeveria Elegans plants will grow healthily in temperatures ranging from 40° to 80° Fahrenheit (4° to 26° Celsius degrees). However, they can stand temperatures as low as 20° Fahrenheit (-6° Celsius degrees) when push comes to shove.
Soil and Fertilization
As Echeveria Elegans prefer their soil moist but not soggy, then a potting soil mixed with perlite in equal parts will help the plant to grow without any troubles at all. Drainage is the key property that the soil mix should have, in order to avoid excess of water in the root system and thus being able to prevent rot rot. When in doubt, you can also use commercial cactus soil mixtures with your Echeveria Elegans and it will do fine.
You can learn more about how to find or make the best soil mix for succulents in our guide, so check it out.
Regarding fertilization, these plants aren’t needy, but if you want to go the extra mile, you can feed it once per month, but only during the growing seasons (spring and summer). In short, they can use these extra nutrients to boost their growth.
Repotting
You will be happy to know that these species don’t need to be repotted very often. If the soil mix is draining well and your plant is thriving, I wouldn’t worry about repotting for a long time. Maybe you can plan to do it every 1 or 2 years if you notice that the roots need more space to expand.
Pest Prevention
Although the Echeveria Elegans is very resistant to pests, keep in mind that plant-sucking organisms like mealybugs, weevils or aphids can still attack your plant. To get rid of them, simply use a cotton swab soaked with water to remove the pests lying on the surface. Another alternative is to wash them off by misting the leaves. However, make sure to use a soft cloth tissue to remove the excess of water once you are done.
Echeveria Elegans Propagation
Now let’s talk about one of the most popular topics around Echeveria Elegans, its propagation. This plant can be propagated using any of the three following methods:
- From leaves
- Stem cuttings
- Seeds
From Leaves
To propagate your Echeveria from leaves, simply grab some leaves from your plant that aren’t old and place them in a new pot with well-drained soil and perlite (50%). Keep the same watering routine you were using with the mother plant and roots should start coming out of the separated leaves after 1 or 2 weeks.
Stem cuttings
Similarly to propagation through leaves, you can perform stem cuttings and plant them in a new pot with the properties described above. Also, make sure to follow the watering and light care suggested in the previous sections. If all goes well, rooting may take place within 2 or 3 weeks after.
Seeds
You can plant the Echeveria Elegans seeds in a pot that is 4 inches in diameter. Make sure to use a combination of standard potting soil mixed with perlite in equal parts. After you cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil, make sure to water evenly. Keep the pot in partial shade. Then you should expect the seeds to sprout in a maximum of 3 weeks.
Related Questions
How big do Echeveria Elegans get?
They can reach a maximum height of 8.5 inches and grow up to 12 inches in diameter. Keep in mind that its limbs can easily expand beyond the pot.
Do Echeveria Elegans bloom?
Yes, the Echeveria Elegans tends to bloom in early spring and give life to pink flowers that have yellow tips.
Why is my Echeveria flattening?
The main reason for this could be lack of sunlight exposure. Make sure to place your Echeveria Elegans outdoors or in a place where it can get between 4 and 6 hours of direct sunlight.
How do you tell if you’re overwatering succulents?
If you notice that your succulent’s leaves are turning yellow or getting transparent, this can be a symptom of overwatering. You can confirm this by touching them if they feel mushy or soggy, then there’s no doubt that you should reduce the watering frequency and consider repotting to a well-drained soil mixture.
Your Turn
We hope that this guide is useful to grow your Echeveria Elegans healthily. This plant can be a good addition if you are cacti or a succulent fan. They look great in any garden outdoors and you will be delighted by the number of offsets that it can produce. Now, happy planting!
