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  • Echeveria elegans Mexican Snowball Hens and Chicks succulent care and propagation informationPin

Echeveria elegans

Mexican Snowball

This Echeveria is one of the most easily recognizable of its species. The light-green rosette does well indoors when given enough light. It is often referred to as “hens and chicks,” not to be confused with Sempervivum.

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Quick Look:

  • Full sun to partial shade

  • Typical water needs for a succulent

  • Plant grows up to 8″ (20 cm) tall

    Plant grows up to 12″ (30.5 cm) wide

  • Zone 9a (Minimum 20° F | -6.7° C)

  • Not cold hardy

  • Propagation by offsets and leaves

  • Generally non-toxic to humans and animals

  • Winter Dormant

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Also available from Leaf and Clay and Etsy.

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Care and Propagation Information

General Care for Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball”

This common Echeveria is perfect on a green roof, as part of a wedding bouquet, or for use as ground cover. Anciently, it was believed to drive away evil spirits.

Watering

“Mexican Snowball” has typical watering needs for a succulent. It's best to use the “soak and dry” method, and allow the soil to dry out completely between waterings.

Where to Plant

Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball” is not cold hardy, so if you live in a zone that gets colder than 20° F (-6.7° C), it's best to plant this succulent in a container that can be brought indoors. It does well in full to partial sun.

Plant in an area of your garden that gets 6 hours of sunlight a day. If planting indoors, place in a room that gets a lot of sunlight, such as near a southern-facing window (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere).

Pairs Well With

Portulacaria afra “Elephant Bush”

How to Propagate Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball”

Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball” is a prolific propagator, growing many “chicks” from offsets. You can also propagate it from its leaves.

Offsets

Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball” will produce small offsets, sprouting up around the base of the plant. Simply pull these up and allow the offsets to dry for one to two days before replanting.

Leaves

To propagate Echeveria elegans “Mexican Snowball” from leaves, begin by choosing a firm, healthy leaf. Remove it from the main plant by gently twisting the leaf from the stem. Be sure not to leave any of the leaf on the stem (if you take a bit of the stem with the leaf, that’s fine, too!).

Allow the leaf to callous over for several days, and then lay on well-draining soil. Water whenever the soil has dried completely. After roots and a rosette have appeared, and the mother leaf has withered away, plant the new growth.

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