Echeveria is a rather large genius of succulents, with a wide spectrum of colors and sizes that all have showy rosettes. Because of the rosette forming nature of these plants they were first classified as Sempervivum, but in 1828 the genus was named after Antanasio Echeverria, a Mexican botanical artist who had produced thousands of illustrations of the genus. With well over 100 varieties of echeveria they thrive and prosper in many different settings. Many in the americas grow in higher elevations making them more cold hardy and more drought tolerant. These high elevation echeverias grow on cliff sides, thriving in areas that seem uninhabitable. The porous cliffside rocks and inability to saturate their native soil should be a clue for watering echeverias, they will not require much water to thoroughly enjoy a sunny garden location. The Echeveria Imbricata, “Hens and Chicks”, is one of the more hardy echeveria and is able to tolerate lots of sun and heat as well as temperatures down to 20 degrees, making it a highly versatile, extremely hardy, and easy beginner echeveria for a started collection.
