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Products > Echeveria colorata 'Mexican Giant'
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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow & Orange |
| Bloomtime: Summer |
| Synonyms: [Echeveria 'Mexican Giant'] |
| Parentage: (Echeveria colorata forma brandtii selection) |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Echeveria colorata 'Mexican Giant' (Mexican Giant Echeveria) - This beautiful large cultivar is slow growing to form a mostly solitary stemless rosette up to 1 foot across with distinctive upright arching fleshy lance-shaped leaves with a fine point, and with the older leaves often having a blush of pink. All surfaces of the leaves are completely covered with a powdery-white waxy coating that gives this plant a very attractive look, somewhat similar to Dudleya pulverulenta or the gray form of Dudleya brittonii. The 12-20 inch long flowering stems have flowers that are salmon to orange on the exterior with yellow interiors. Plant in full sun to bright light in a well-drained soil. Irrigate gently or preferably from the side or below and avoid touching, to avoid removing the white coating on the leaves. We have not had this plant outdoors through a cold winter but suggest that it be protected from frost so not to mar its foliage. This parentage of this beautiful plant was a bit of a mystery in the succulent world until November 12, 2004 when Myron Kimnach, renowned Echeveria expert, author and past director of the Huntington Botanic Garden, posted on the Yahoo Crassulaceae group that he believed this selected plant was closely related to E. colorata forma brandtii. He suggested that it be listed as Echeveria colorata 'Mexican Giant', noting that this cultivar name seems valid as it was the first name published with a description, as it appeared in the 1997/98 Thornwood Gardens catalog put out by Max Holmes of Stranthalbyn, South Australia. This is the name that was later used in the book "Echeveria Cultivars" by Lorraine Schulz and Attila Kapitany. Echeveria colorata forma brandtii is found growing in Jalisco, Mexico at around 6,800 feet elevation. Our plants produced in the laboratory (tissue culture) by Longview Horticulture in Longwarry, Victoria, Austrailia. The specific epithet 'colorata', latin for "colored", likely is in reference to the flush of red in the new grow and the older leaves. 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.
Information displayed on this page about Echeveria colorata 'Mexican Giant' is based on the research conducted about it in our library and from reliable online resources. We also note those observations we have made of this plant as it grows in the nursery's garden and in other gardens, as well how crops have performed in our nursery field. We will incorporate comments we receive from others, and welcome to hear from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if they share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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