Origin

Echeveria secunda, or Blue Echeveria, is an evergreen succulent so-named for its pale blue colored leaves. These leaves are oval-shaped and fan out in a tight rosette. Their tips and edges can sometimes show additional coloring in shades of brown, pink or red. This edging tends to show up more vibrantly in the wintertime.

Blue Echeverias are sometimes referred to as 'Hen-and-chicks'. This is because when new plantlets form they tend to cluster closely around the parent plant in a way that's reminiscent of how a mother hen protects her baby chickens, hence the name!

These plants are native to Mexico, but have also since been introduced to parts of New Zealand, the Dominican Republic and Vietnam.

Care

Like other succulents, Blue Echeveria are very easy-care plants and can thrive even with a bit of neglect. In fact, your Blue Echeveria will do just fine if left mostly to its own devices - it's much easier to kill a succulent by giving it too much care than too little.

Be careful not to overwater your Blue Echeveria - never let it sit in water (be sure to empty out any excess water that collects in the dish beneath your plant) and only ever water again once the soil is completely dry.

This plant also needs plenty of light - full sun is ideal. Be sure to place it in a very sunny spot in your home. If you don't naturally get enough sunlight, you can supplement it with grow lights.

Other

Blue Echeveria plants can grow up to 6 inches wide (15 cm). They can also send up arching stems during the summertime which can grow twice as tall as the plant itself - up to 1 ft (30 cm). These stems hold red and yellow flowers that are shaped a bit like little lanterns.