Ever purchase a succulent because you liked how it looked but it was labeled "assorted succulents," "echeveria sp.," or didn't have a label? I do this all the time because I'm drawn to the succulents that are easy on the eyes but hard to identify. Part of the fun of having succulents with no name is doing the research to figure it out and catalogue it's care and growth. When it comes to succulent names, I'm typically interested in their "genus" and "species." Most of the succulents in my garden belong to the Crassulaceae family, though I do have some in the Asparagaceae and Asphodelaceae families. For instance, succulents that belong in the genus Echeveria are in the Crassulaceae family. I recently acquired a succulent with no name, though I knew it was an Echeveria. See. Easy on the eyes. If you look closely, you'll notice a thin layer of powdery substance on her fleshy leaves, which is the succulent's farina. Some succulents generate farina as they develop new growth from the center of the rosette. Farina acts as a sunscreen protecting the plant from harsh rays and can typically be found on succulents that can withstand full sunshine. Watch out though, once you rub off the farina, the succulent will not regenerate new protection on leaves. So handle succulents with care. When I brought her home, she did not have a label. I can't even remember where I found her. So my search began. If a succulent has no name I will typically be on the lookout for succulents that look similar. A couple weeks later, I found a similar looking succulent named E. Pulidonis at a local nursery. Photo credit: Cactus Jungle | Flickr: Sonja010 | Unknown I was pretty convinced that she was a Pulidonis because the E. Pulidonis looked so similar. Upon further research, I was less convinced. Many of the descriptions I found on E. Pulidonis described "frosty blue leaves outlined with rose-red margins" or "red-edged pale bluish-green leaves" or "pale green rosettes with red edges." I initially thought my Echeveria's leaf margins would become redder with the sun, though I was wrong. The edges became pinker as days went by. Another method I've read about is waiting for your plant to bloom. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, I found a bloom peeking through. As you can see in the photo below, the bloom is pink. When I saw the pink bloom, I was certain that my Echeveria was not E. Pulidonis because E. Pulidonis has bell-shaped yellow blooms. Photo credit: World of Succulents The search continued. While I haven't found anything in person that looked like my Echeveria, I saw some pictures that resemble my sweet little rosette. Pink margins - check. Pinkish blooms - check. I think we have a winner. Photo credit: Flickr walksimos | Flickr succulentville80 | IG @tyc333 ![]() The three pictures above are photos I found scrollin' through the interwebs and social media. Very similar to E. Pulidonis...because they are related. Pink margins and pink/yellow blooms are characteristics of a hybrid of E. Pulidonis x E. Derenbergii. I've also seen it named "E. Moon Goddess," though it's not a legitimate name. E. Moon Goddess is the name you find in some South Korean nurseries. However, E. Moon Goddess has been dismissed as the California hybrid's name because another frilly echeveria hybrid has claimed the name. (Photo: Ascot Vale Garden Centre) Upon further research, I learned that Jaewoo Kim, of Sarang nursery in the Republic of Korea crossed E. Derenbergii x E. Pulidonis and E. Pulidonis x E. Derenbergii. These hybrids have been known as "Jeongya Keum" and "Californica Queen." Photo credit: E. Jeongya Keum - sakusakubisco | E. Californica Queen - IG @hoonyhoho According to the International Crassulaceae Network, any plants with E. Pulidonis and E. Derenbergii as parent plants are considered E. Esther.
While this process took months to figure it out, I'm sure I could still be wrong. I'm going to wait a bit longer to see the full bloom spike, but as of today, I'm on team E. Esther. While some succulent lovers don't care to know the plants' names, I believe it's the best way to research their needs in terms of care. If you ever find a succulent with no name, part of the journey and joy could be figuring it out. Happy naming!
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In Fall 2016, I fell in love with variegated succulents. Variegated means that the succulent's foliage has multiple colors. The colors can be in a pattern or within the margins of the plant. For instance, my Aeonium Sunburst sports green leaves with yellow margins thinly lined with pink. Isn't she lovely? I was drawn to variegated succulents because I imagined they could possibly bridge multiple colors together and would look amazing in arrangements. They are simply stunning. Whenever I learn about a new type of succulent, I enjoy researching and learning about the origins and needs of the plants. Despite succulents having the similar ability to store water in their plant parts, they all require a different type of care. This research led me to the coveted Echeveria Compton Carousel. Coincidentally, E. Compton Carousel appeared on my IG feed in early November and I entered @fairyblooms Compton giveaway. Unfortunately, I did not win but I knew they were available online and they weren't cheap. I decided against purchasing succulents online because I wanted to see if they were available near me and I wasn't sure how they would do in the mail. They remained on my wish list. Excited to learn more about the E. Compton, I came across various names that have been used to sell/describe the plant. She was first found in Lenore Dean's garden in Sonoma, CA and is often times referred to E. Lenore Dean or E. Serenity. She has also been sold as E. Imbricata Variegata, though some claim this is an illegitimate name. I use "E. Compton Carousel" because that's what seems to be the most popular. I was eager to join the Compton Carousel Club. When I visited my local nursery, to my surprise, there were three for sale. They cost less than those I found online, though I still couldn't get myself to purchase them so impulsively. I waited. I think patience is the most important thing that gardening has taught me. And as you can see by these photos, these E. Comptons were not perfect. Many of the leaves were primarily cream, which means they would depend on the blue-gray parts for photosynthesis. After about a day or two, my partner convinced me to get one as an early Christmas present. I was thrilled. When I asked about care instructions, the nursery owner said they get watered about once a week. I figured that as long as I followed these instructions, they would thrive. The nursery kept them outside and even planted some in the ground. If they survived in the elements at the nursery, they would surely survive in my balcony. The following week, I was away for the holiday. I truly missed my Compton and was anxious to get back. I knew it had been raining and I wanted to be sure they didn't drown while I was away. Luckily, I had them underneath a planter, so they stayed dry. I watered my coveted Compton upon my return. A couple weeks went by and I noticed the inner leaves were slightly brown. I took a closer look and to my dismay, the poor roots had rotted all the way through. I tried to save a piece of the stem, but that quickly dried and withered away the next day. I was so disappointed. No piece was salvageable. My poor Compton literally fell apart in my hand. I was so distraught and knew I could not even think about replacing it anytime soon. I sadistically continued researching E. Compton Carousels because I needed to know where I went wrong. Was it the rain? the wind? the outside elements? Did I water too soon? Was it not getting enough sunlight? Compton Carousel Club members (not a real club, I made this name up but maybe we should start one) discussed E. Compton Carousel's sensitivity, with many members losing their first or at least one in their experience. This research actually made me feel better because I was in the same boat in terms of loss. After about a month, I visited my nursery again to find the E. Comptons gone. I asked the owner about selling his last two Comptons and he said they were stolen. Someone had stolen them along with a tray of other plants. Plantnapping! or Succulentnapping! Who would do such a thing? It was upsetting to hear that they were stolen. As soon as I got home, I searched online succulent shops and they were all sold out. I really believed I lost my chance to find another E. Compton Carousel. They were on sale on eBay and Etsy for three times the amount that I paid and I just couldn't trust and afford to purchase them online. Finally, I learned about the Succulent Marketplace and I'm so glad I did. Basically, SM allows independent sellers to post and sell their goods on a first come, first serve basis. A birdie told me that I might be able to find an E. Compton Carousel here. I patiently waited and sure enough, one seller came through. I was so pleased with the experience of purchasing on SM. My package containing my new E. Comptons arrived last week. I have to say that plant mail is the best mail! Each rosette was wrapped, bare root in tissue and cushioned with shredded newspaper. They arrived in healthy condition and were well rooted. I think the issue with my first E. Compton Carousel was that her roots were limited. My new additions have a healthy root structure and thick, healthy leaves. When they arrived, I potted them in 50% cactus & succulent soil and 50% pumice. I also topdressed the pot with pumice.
This time around I sought more advice from experienced E. Compton Carousel moms. One mom in particular, Jackie, shared her methods and suggested that I wait until Spring for my first watering session. She currently has 8 Comptons in her greenhouse and has had them for about a year. I value her expertise and have decided to keep my Comptons inside for now, since its been raining for days/weeks/months it seems. My other succulents seem to be loving the rain and have great drainage so I've left them on the balcony. With my previous Compton experience, I'm hesitant to leave them outside and I trust Jackie's advice about watering. I also purchased grow lights so that my indoor succulents have access to enough light. It's been a week as a new member of the Compton Carousel Club and I am loving it! My Comptons bring me so much joy and I look forward to updating you all on the journey. In a future post, I'll share more about my grow light situation and my plans for the spring. |
AuthorHello! I'm Jocyl, a succulent enthusiast living in California (zone 9b). I've been around succulents all my life and I look forward to sharing my succulent journey with you. ArchivesCategories
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