×Graptoveria 'Spirit of '76'

Scientific Name

×Graptoveria 'Spirit of '76'

Synonym(s)

×Graptoveria 'Spirit of 76'

Scientific Classification

Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sempervivoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Nothogenus: ×Graptoveria

Description

×Graptoveria 'Spirit of '76' is a small succulent shrublet that produces colorful rosettes of rounded, lilac to pink-gray colored leaves. Flowers are bell-shaped, pinkish-orange, and appear in spring and summer.

It is very easy to confuse with the much more common ×Graptoveria 'Debbi'.

Hardiness

USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).

×Graptoveria 'Spirit of '76' — *Photo by Joan Steele*

How to Grow and Care

The rules for Graptopetalum care are similar to those for most succulents. Container-bound plants thrive in a mixture of peat, sand, or other grit, topsoil, and a little bit of compost. Full sun is the best situation, but they will grow in partial sun with slightly rangy results.

Graptopetalums need excellent drainage and moderate water. You can tell when to water by sticking your finger in the soil. If it is dry several inches down or the fleshy leaves are looking shriveled, you should water. Overwatering is a cause of root rots, and the plant can get several pest infestations.

These succulents 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 had rooted and sprouted new leaves. See more at How to Grow and Care for Graptopetalum.

Origin

This succulent is an intergeneric hybrid created by Charles Uhl, resulting from the cross between Echeveria shaviana and an unknown Graptopetalum.