Echeveria Laui (La Roseta)

The Echeveria Laui is a dwarf succulent of the family Crassulaceae. It’s a beautiful house plant. Its foliage and flowers are some of the features that make this plant a must-have succulent. It has rosettes, and each rosette is six inches wide while the plant itself stands at 4-5 inches.

The plant belongs to the genus Echeveria. The word laui was given in honor of Alfred Bernhard Lau, a German missionary in Mexico, an explorer, and a collector of cacti and other succulent plants. It is indigenous to Mexico, and it is an easy succulent to propagate and care for. Let’s dig into the plant and its care.

Morphological Characteristics Of Echeveria Laui

Leaves

Echeveria Laui has beautiful foliage that forms a rosette shape for which the succulent is known. Each leaf is fleshy and thick with an almost rounded shape compared to others in the species. On the surface of the leaves, you will notice a white powdered coating. This white powdered coating is known as farina which gives the leaves a soft feel and a colorful pastel. The farina, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing to the plant, protects it from harsh environmental conditions.

The plant is usually identified by its usual pale color: a whitish–pink shade. Some cultivars of the plant may have a blue –grayish color. When sufficient lighting conditions have been provided, the plant develops a pink tinge at the edge of the leaves. This plant’s foliage is beautiful and one of the qualities that make the Echeveria Laui a great succulent.

Flowers

Echeveria Laui is a gift that keeps on giving. Its flowers are yet another attractive feature of this plant. Echeverias are polycarpic. This means that, unlike most succulents, they can flower multiple times a year as they do not have a set season. Its flowers are red and heavily colored in a fine white powder. The plant’s flowers are beautiful and numerous, and they open and close in a sequence that lasts up to two weeks for the whole cycle. A short stalk will typically form from the succulent. Sometimes there is more than one stalk per rosette. This will bear the peachy rose flowers of the plant. The good thing is that they remain alive even after the blooming season.

Stems

The stem of the Echeveria is small, growing to about 4 inches tall. It is a slow-growing plant; thus, it will achieve this height after several years.

Toxicity

It’s safe to grow Echeveria Laui at home, even if you have kids and pets. No harmful substances in the plant’s system could potentially lead to toxicity. This means you could enjoy the plant for as long as possible. It is indeed a wonderful succulent.

Uses of Echeveria Laui

The Echeveria Laui is a small, compact succulent that is also very attractive. It can be used as a tabletop plant or hung in a pot. Its many shades of color make it a wonderful indoor succulent.

Echeveria Laui Care

Light and Placement

The plant does well under direct sunlight, requiring at least six hours for best results. It generally requires a lot of light, even six hours of direct sunlight. You can grow the plant outdoors if the temperature in your area is suitable for its growth. If, however, you grow it indoors, ensure you position it so that it gets the sunlight it requires.

One way of ensuring your plant gets adequate sunlight is placing it next to a window from which it can get direct sunlight. Keep it near the window, preferably within one foot, as this will ensure it soaks in as much sunlight as it needs. It is advisable to keep the plant in a room painted in bright colors because such painting in the room intensifies light through reflection.

Echeveria Laui can withstand tremendously intense sunlight. The plant reacts to the high intensity of the sun’s rays by deepening the red on its leaves, making it even more beautiful. You should, however, give it some relief from the sunlight from time to time. Keeping the plant in the dark or somewhere it doesn’t get as much sunlight as needed usually causes the leaves to be yellow. Sometimes the leaves can drop, and the plant will be much more susceptible to diseases since it is generally weak.

Watering Echeveria Laui

Watering is always a sensitive issue when it comes to succulents. Overwatering causes the roots to rot and eventually die. First, ensure the pot you use has drainage holes to release excess water. Also, the soil should be well-draining; any cactus mix soil is ideal. All this is to avoid any instance where water stagnates.

Although the plant generally requires little water, you will need to water it more often in hotter seasons than in colder ones due to evaporation. How easily you manage this aspect of care for your plant will largely be determined by the type of soil on which you have grown your plant. Since there is no one-size-fits-all approach for watering, you will need to determine the need for watering on a moment-by-moment basis.

How do you know your plant requires to be watered? The topsoil dryness test is always an effective method of knowing whether your plant requires some watering. Insert a finger into the plant’s soil or potting mix to feel whether or not the top two inches of the soil is dry. If dry, your soil needs more water since moisture from the previous drink has dried up.

When you notice the bottom leaves of the plant start to wrinkle and slightly wilt when the plant is severely dehydrated and needs urgent watering.

The best method to water this succulent is the soak and dry it. Insert the plant into a large container filled with water and allow the plant to soak in the water for at least half an hour. After removing the plant, let the excess moisture drain from the drainage holes at the bottom of the container for another half an hour. Water again when the soil is dry. 

Dipping your plant in a tab is more applicable to this plant due to its structure. The leaves start growing right from the base. The leaf canopy above the soil makes it difficult from above without wetting the leaves; wet leaves make the plant susceptible to the growth of fungi.

We are always cautious about giving a definite watering schedule even for the various seasons because the environmental conditions are a significant factor in how well the soil can retain water. Ambient temperature, for example, determines how fast water in the soil evaporates. Even in the same seasons, this temperature varies from place to place.

Soil

This plant does well in well-draining soil; waterlogged soil can quickly kill it. If you are going for a commercial pottage, buy cactus or succulent soil commercially. That soil is already well-draining, but you will need to make it easier to drain. You should add fifty to seventy percent grit. Grit could be coarse sand, perlite, or pumice. The soil will always be moist, not dry, but not entirely wet either. The use of commercial pottage mix is best when growing your plant in a pot.

On the other hand, if you are growing the plant outdoors in a Mediterranean garden or as a hedge, you will need to ensure the soil is well-draining. The plant can handle rock ground, so that should not be a problem. If the soil in your area has more clay than grit, you can introduce soil in the planting holes to allow your water to drain quickly. Also, you may need to create French drains to allow any excess water to run off the roots.

If you are planting your Echeveria laui in a pot (which is the most likely scenario), you must consider the pot type you use carefully. This is because the pot is critical in ensuring your soil will be humus-rich. It should have several draining holes at the bottom because the water that gets to the soil must get out to avoid waterlogging. You can also use a breathable pot to enhance the evaporation of water. Unglazed terracotta pots are the best option for growing these succulents.

Feeding Echeveria Laui

The Echeveria benefits from feeding but fertilizing the plant won’t speed up its growth. They thus don’t need much fertilizing. Feeding excess fertilizer will cause a buildup of salts that may cause burns to the plant’s stem and leaves. However, it is okay to feed it sparingly during its growing season. I can recommend a low-nitrogen liquid fertilizer. Liquid fertilizer is preferred as you can administer it during watering. Another option is to use a slow-release fertilizer and put it in the potting mix during early spring.

Pests and diseases

When well cared for, the plant can remain healthy with little disturbance from pests and diseases. However, looking for mealybugs, spider mites, and scale insects is essential. You can quickly remedy this by using organic pesticides.

It would help if you inspected your plants regularly. This practice lets you catch an infestation before it gets out of hand. Severe infestation by any of these pests causes your plant’s leaves to develop unhealthy brown spots. This is because these pests suck the sap from the leaves.

One way to handle them is by spraying the affected parts with pesticide soap. You can use the liquid dishwashing soap mixed with water at a ratio of 1:1 and spray. The soap irritates the insects, dislodging them from the plant. You can also use the following plant-based pesticides.

1. Neem oil: Unlike the other pesticides listed below, neem oil is a systemic pesticide. It gets into the plant and poisons it against the bugs so that they don’t survive or reproduce when they attack the plant. Pure Neem Oil is made from the neem plant. Therefore, it is entirely natural and not harmful to humans.
2. Hot pepper spray: Hot pepper is quite irritating when it gets on your skin and eyes, and it has the same effects on the bugs infesting your succulents. Spray it carefully on the affected parts to protect your skin and eyes.
3. Garlic spray: A concentrated garlic spray can have the same effects on the bugs as pepper spray. You can manufacture the garlic spray by crushing garlic cloves and putting them in hot water. Put just a little hot water, so the end product is concentrated enough to destroy the pests. Remove the garlic residue, put the pesticide in a sprayer, and spray away on the infected parts of the plant.

Always spray a small part of the plant with the pesticide you want to use before spraying on the whole plant. This precaution applies when using contact pesticides, i.e., hot pepper and garlic. You need to see the plant’s reaction before you spray it all. You can reduce concentration if the test shows the plant’s reacting adverse effects on the pesticide.

Rub the infected parts of the plant with rubbing alcohol of at least 70%. It will help you dislodge the pests.  

Root rot is the most complex disease; you can avoid it by keeping the soil well-drained. Root rot is often characterized by yellowing leaves that end up falling off. These are also the symptoms of a plant suffering from sunlight deficiency. If your soil has been dry, you see the leaves yellowing, especially in winter. Take the plant out in the sun for about six hours a day for a few days; it will recover.

Common Problems

There are other indications that Echeveria laui could be experiencing some problems, as below.

• Slow or No Growth: This plant’s growth is slow, but it should be steady. If you find that it is not growing, it indicates that it needs more sunlight. Move it to more direct sunlight.
• Yellow leaves: if the leaves start yellowing from below and the soil is soggy, your plant is overwatered. Yellow leaves may also signal severe dehydration. Water the plant if the soil wetness test confirms the dehydration.
• Mushy stems: A mush stem shows that your plant has root rot. You can remedy this by repotting the plant. When the stem has become mushy, it is too late to salvage the plant. You can use the still healthy parts of the stem to propagate and get new plants.
• Rotting leaves: This is a symptom of fungal infection on the leaves. The leaves will be slimy and crash easily to the touch. This may be a result of watering from the above. 

Potting And Repotting

Echeveria Laui is relatively slow-growing; it only needs repotting once every two years to accommodate the additional size. Repotting may also be made necessary by your substrate losing its porosity. The soil on which you plant it can become less and less porous over time as it loses some of its grit through drainage holes through watering.

If you are potting for the first time, choose the pot carefully. It should have several draining holes at the bottom because the water that gets to the soil must get out to avoid waterlogging. You can also use a breathable pot to enhance the evaporation of water. Unglazed terracotta pots are the best option for growing these succulents.

Pruning and Grooming

Echeveria Laui succulents are slow-growing plants. They thus don’t need to be pruned very often. However, if you want to maintain the plant’s neat appearance or shape, it is best to trim off any dying or damaged leaves and flowers. Use sharp scissors for this task and always cut above a leaf joint because that is where new growth will originate.

Echeveria Laui Propagation

Three is the number of ways you can propagate this Echeveria.

Propagation Through Seeds

• You can propagate Echeveria Laui succulents from seeds. They can be grown by anyone with access to the correct type of seed and the ability to keep them in good conditions until they germinate.
• Echeveria seeds are typically sown on top of soil that is already moist and then left in an area that receives bright indirect light until they germinate.
• This can take about two weeks to several months, depending on how healthy the seeds are and the conditions in which you keep them.
• Once the Echeveria Laui succulent grows well, you need to transplant it to a new pot with well-draining soil.

Propagation From Leaf Cuttings

• To propagate Echeveria Laui succulents by leaf cuttings, you need to remove a leaf by gently pulling it away from the mother rosette and placing it in an area that receives bright indirect light.
• Allow the leaf to be callous for a few days before planting it in a new pot with well-draining soil, which can be pre-made succulent or cactus potting soil from the store.
• Keep the leaf undisturbed in the new pot until it develops new roots, which may take a few weeks.

Propagation Through Offsets

• Offsets are the small rosettes that develop at the base of Echeverias.
• To propagate Echeveria Laui succulents by offsets, you need to pull the offset away from the mother plant and place it in its pot with well-draining soil.
• After a few weeks, the offset should have developed enough roots to be transferred to a new pot.

Conclusion

The Echeveria Laui is a slow-growing succulent, but what it lacks in size makes up for in beauty and attractiveness. With diverse colors and shades, this plant is a must-have succulent as it is big enough to give life to a room. It’s also a straightforward plant to care for and is easily propagated, ensuring you can have as many of these tiny plants as you may wish for your garden. By following the tips outlined, your Echeveria will grow healthy for a long time.

ABOUT ME

Richard Miller

Salute everyone. It's Richard, the author of this Succulent & Xeriscaping blog. I am a traveler and a nature lover looking for a connection with the wild green. In my journey, I found a love for succulents and xeriscaping. What attracts me is the long-lasting & unique beauty of every plant I have the chance to see with my own eyes. Welcome to my little blog and let's enjoy a good time together!

Contact me: richard.succulentcity@gmail.com