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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Orange |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [Echeveria subrigida, Hort., E. rosei] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Echeveria cante - A very beautiful succulent plant with one foot wide solitary rosettes of blue-green leaves covered with a thick powdery whitish-lavender coating and often with a fine red edge along the leaf margin. Thick 18 inch tall erect inflorescences bearing gray leaf bracts and yellow-orange flowers appear in summer. Plant in full coastal sun to light shade inland in a well-drained soil. Maintain bright light and avoid overwatering it in winter months and remove older dead leaves that build up at the base. Seems hardy to at least 25 F. This species from the mountains of Zacatecas was only recently named though the plant has long been in cultivation misnamed as a form of Echeveria subrigida or under the name Echeveria rosei, which was found in early Santa Barbara gardens as indicated by its inclusion in Pearl Chase's (editor) "Cacti and Succulents: An Annotated List of Plant Cultivated in Santa Barbara" that was published by the Garden Tours Committee in 1930. The new name honors the Cante Institute and Botanic Garden in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico where the renowned Charles Glass was curator up until his death in 1998. The word 'cante' comes from the Chichimecen language and means a "source of water". The genus Echeveria was named to honor Mexican botanical artist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy in 1828 by the French botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (DeCandolle) who was very impressed with Echeverría's drawings. Echeverría had accompanied the the Sessé and Mociño expedition (led by Martin de Sessé y Lacasta and Mariano Mociño Suárez de Figueroa) while exploring Mexico and northern Central America and had produced thousands of botanical illustrations. The genus Echeveria is a member of the large Crassula family (Crassulaceae), which has about 1,400 species in 33 genera with worldwide distribution. Echeveria, with approximately 180 species, are native to mid to higher elevations in the Americas with the main distribution in Mexico and central America but with one species found from as far north as southern Texas and several species occurring as far south as Bolivia, Peru and possibly Argentina. The book "The genus Echeveria" by John Pilbeam (published by the British Cactus and Succulent Society, 2008) is an excellent source of information on the species and "Echeveria Cultivars" by Lorraine Schulz and Attila Kapitany (Schulz Publishing, 2005) has beautiful photos and great information on the cultivars and hybrids. It has been argued by some that the correct pronunciation for the genus is ek-e-ve'-ri-a, though ech-e-ver'-i-a seems in more prevalent use in the US.
The information about Echeveria cante displayed on this page is based on research conducted in our nursery library and from online sources we consider reliable. We will also relate those observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and in other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has additional information, particularly when they share cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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