Scientific Name
Graptopetalum pachyphyllum Rose
Common Names
Bluebean
Synonyms
Echeveria minutifoliata, Sedum atypicum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Graptopetalum
Description
Graptopetalum pachyphyllum is a low-growing succulent, branched at the base, with sprawling stems and glaucous blue-green leaves tipped with red and massed in small rosettes at the tip of each stem. The stems grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) long. Flowers are white-green banded in dark red.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
The rules for Graptopetalums care are similar to those for most succulents. All require lots of sunlight to look their best. They require gritty porous soil with excellent drainage. Water regularly over the summer months letting the soil dry out between waterings. Minimal water is required over winter. Overwatering is a cause of root rots, and the plant can get several pest infestations. Fertilize once during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer diluted to ¼ strength.
The Graptopetalums are generally easy to propagate by seeds, leaf cuttings, or offsets. Any rosette that breaks off has the potential to root and start a new plant. Even a leaf that drops off will root below the parent plant and produce a new rosette quickly. The new plant feeds off the leaf until it shrivels up and falls off. By then, the new little ghost plant has rooted and sprouted new leaves.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Graptopetalum.
Origin
This species is native to the mountains of central Mexico (from Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí to Jalisco, Hidalgo and Queretaro).
Links
- Back to genus Graptopetalum
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
