The ‘Lipstick Echeveria’ Echeveria Agavoides (Echeveria Red Velvet)

Non-cacti succulents are famous for having exquisite shapes and colors, and Echeveria Agavoides is no exception. Indeed, this plant native to Mexico is one of the most striking. It is not a plant that has pervasive growth. Thanks to this, we may keep it in a pot throughout its life. Furthermore, one of the advantages of keeping it indoor or outdoor is it produces gorgeous and striking flowers that can be precious decorative pieces for our home or garden.

However, not everything in this plant is positive since despite being very easy to grow and resistant to many external conditions. It is not very resistant to puddles or excessive watering, but that is not something that makes it challenging to take care of this plant. We only have to be careful when we water it and when it rains, change it to one where it is safer from being soaked.

This variety of Echeveria is mainly used as borders of succulents for rockeries or in cactus gardens, although they can also be found in indoor or greenhouse pots. They can be appropriate for coastal gardens and large cities due to their tolerance to pollution. It must be taken into account that their growth is relatively slow, and they can reach a size a little larger than expected, so it is recommended to use a medium-sized pot.

Types Of Echeveria Agavoides

Echeveria Agavoides also have different types. We listed some of the common ones for you to get familiarized with. Added also is a brief description for each for your easy reference.

• Echeveria Agavoides ‘Ebony’ – This type forms beautiful clusters of tight rosettes of thick fleshy gray-green leaves. It also has red edges that add character to the plant. This plant blooms every spring with flowers that are typically reddish-pink and with yellow tips.

• Echeveria Agavoides ‘Cristata’ – This one is a small, low-growing succulent that develops attractive apple green pointed leaves with a soft red spine.

• Echeveria Agavoides ‘Prolifera’ – This type is considered stemless. It has apple green fleshy leaves that form rosettes and has a darker red terminal spine. Typically this type blooms every summer. Its name “Prolifera” refers to the numerous proliferous offshoots from its rosettes

• Echeveria Agavoides ‘Miranda’ – This type is known for its beautiful appearance. It has compact rosettes of mid-green leaves with vibrant reddish-pink tips and margins

• Echeveria Agavoides ‘Rajoya’ – This type differs slightly from the usual compact rosettes. It has dense rosettes with light green to pale bluish-green leaves. The tips are flushed pink with hot pink margins

Stem

This Echeveria is characterized by being a crass plant without a stem. Its growth is in the form of a rosette of fleshy leaves with a subtle triangle shape that can reach a size of 3 inches in height and up to 2 inches in diameter. It has a green color most of the time. Still, it is possible that some varieties and specimens exposed to bright and constant sunlight develop reddish edges on their leaves, which characterizes them and makes them more striking.

Flower

In terms of flowering, it has bell-shaped flowers during the spring to early summer. These are of a spectrum of pink, orange, and red. Despite being a plant that can develop excellently under shade or in places with poor lighting, it is best to place it where it receives full sun in the early morning hours as this can help develop its great reddish pigment in the tip of its leaves.

Toxicity

Aside from its appearance, Echeveria Agavoides is also known as a non-toxic plant. This is good news for every plant lover who also has pets at their home. Parents are also more confident about having this plant around as it doesn’t harm their kids. In case ingested, it is still advisable to contact your doctor or a veterinarian for your pets.

Lighting

Echeveria Agavoides is a plant that grows much better outdoors, preferably in a place where it is in full sun. However, as an “Indoor Plant”, it is possible that in nurseries and stores, it is found indoors. In these cases, we must be cautious when taking it outside since it must gradually get used to receiving direct sunlight. Otherwise, it may be damaged by burns on its leaves. But if we get used to it successfully, it will start to have reddish pigmentation on the tips of its leaves. This is just an indicator that it is getting enough light. On the other hand, if we decide to keep it as an indoor plant, we must select a place where it can receive adequate light so that its leaves maintain a healthy appearance.

A fundamental requirement is that the soil has excellent drainage to grow this species of Echeveria in the garden. If you don’t have it, we can make a planting hole and fill it with a universal or unique growing substrate for succulents, mixed with perlite in equal parts to help the water drain. If we want to keep it in a pot, it is best to use a substrate for cacti. We also can make a mixture of pumice and perlite to help drainage the pot.

Repotting

To ensure the health of your Echeveria Agavoides, you may repot it when needed. It is advisable to do this during the warm season. Check if the soil is dry enough to proceed with repotting. Carefully remove your plant from its old pot. Make sure that you do not damage the roots. In some cases, changing the soil to avoid pests and disease is also advisable. Avoid unnecessary repotting, as it may do more harm to your plant. 

Pruning

Pruning is typically a part of succulent care. Aside from it helps with the appearance of your plant, it can also avoid the spread of pests and diseases. Removing dead or dying leaves and stems are also helpful for your succulent to have enough nutrients. You may also prune your Echeveria Agavoides to maintain their shape and size.

Watering

Echeveria Agavoides have the specific watering needs of succulents, and its characteristic weakness is overhydration. Therefore, it is best to use the “soak and dry” method when watering it, allowing the soil to dry completely between waterings, and still give it about two days for the soil to be dried before reusing water. This can mean about two weekly waterings during hot summer times. During the cold and humid winter seasons, irrigation will be almost wholly suspended, necessary only once a month, if not less. Since Echeveria Agavoides does not withstand constant temperatures well below 15ºF, it is best to plant this succulent in a container that we can take indoors in winter.

Fertilizer

The fertilizer is as crucial as irrigation for Echeveria since, without the fertilizer contribution and extra nutrients, our Echeveria Agavoides will soon weaken. Therefore, it is best to pay it from the beginning of spring to the end of summer once every 15 days. If we live in mild and warm climates, we can continue until autumn. We can do this with fertilizers for cacti and other succulents following the instructions specified on the package, taking care not to overdo it so as not to cause an overdose and burn its roots.

Propagation

To multiply our Echeveria, it is best to do it during the end of spring or the beginning of summer. When selecting a method, we have two options. We can do it through seeds or cuttings from the leaves. If we want to do it through seeds, we must fill a pot with a substrate for cactus or a mixture of soil and perlite or gravel in equal parts. Then we must water this substrate, place the seeds, and then cover them with a thin layer of the same substrate. Finally, we leave the pot in a warm and dry place, preferably outside, where it receives semi-shade. The seeds should germinate in approximately three weeks.

If we want to do the multiplication by the cuttings method, we must select a healthy leaf and cut it carefully. After the cutting, we will fill a pot with a universal substrate of cactus or succulents. We can also use a soil mixture and pumice. In this pot, we will place our leaf, cover the cut tip with a little of this substrate, and place the pot outside in a semi-shady place. After two weeks, we should begin to notice a rooting, and it will begin to develop its leaves

You may also propagate your Echeveria Agavoides through offsets. Typically this type of plant produces small offsets around its base. You may remove the offsets using your hands, or you may opt to use clean, sharp garden scissors. Same with the cuttings method, allow the offsets to dry for several days before replanting. Follow the same plant care needed with the cuttings method, and your Echeveria Agavoides will thrive.

Read More: How To Separate Succulents.

Pests And Diseases

This Echeveria does not usually have diseases or fungi. Still, if the growing conditions are not suitable, it can be attacked by mealy bugs. They will begin to feed on the sap inside the leaves or aphids, which will also feed on its leaves and flowers. If we are not careful, it can also be attacked by mollusks such as snails and slugs. These will devour the entire plant in a matter of a few days.

To solve the problems of mealy bugs and aphids, we can rub pharmacy alcohol in the affected areas and wash the plant carefully. If mollusks are attacking it, it is best to find a different location out of reach. We cannot forget that another widespread problem is root rotting due to excess watering. If we suspect this, it is best to suspend all irrigation for at least a week and keep it in a suitable and warm place to allow the substrate and the roots to be dehydrated. Then begin a reduced watering regimen until the plant returns to its normal status.

Final Words

Thank you for taking some time to learn more about  Echeveria Agavoides. By the end of this article, we hope you were able to see how excellent is your Echeveria Agavoides. It is a low-maintenance succulent that would add character to any space. We hope that through this article, you are now more ready to take good care of your plant at home. Accepting the responsibility of being a plant parent might be a hard decision for you, but through this article’s guidance, we hope that you are now more prepared and confident. We hope that you push through by considering getting this plant as your next plant baby.