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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrops) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red & Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Parentage: (E. agavoides x E. agavoides 'Prolifera') |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: <1 foot |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
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Echeveria agavoides 'Romeo' - This succulent forms clumps of individual rosettes that are around 6 inches tall by 8 to 12 inches wide with gray-purple leaves with red edges and terminal spine. The red flowers, slightly smaller than other Echeveria agavoides cultivars, have a yellow tip and bloom in the spring through early summer. Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun in cooler coastal gardens but will also take considerable shade. It is hardy to about 15-20 degrees F. It is great in the garden or in larger decorative pots. This plant is thought to be a mutation of E. agavoides 'Corderoyi' that originated in the nursery of G. Köhres in Germany. Apparently it has also been called 'Red Ebony' and 'Taurus' but 'Romeo' is considered the valid name given by it originator - we have also noted a plant called 'Giant Purple' which may have been a selection from this plant. Our first plant of this cultivar came to us from Korean nurseryman SeongJu Hwang and additional stock was received from Joon Young Park. 'Romeo' differs from other Echeveria agavoides cultivars that we grow ('Lipstick', 'Maria', 'Prolifera' and 'Ebony') in that it is smaller than all but 'Lipstick' and has a leaf color that is more of a purple-gray with less prominent red markings on leaves margins. 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 agavoides 'Romeo' 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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