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Hechtia rosea (Red Leaved Hechtia) - A wickedly attractive succulent that forms a cluster of open rosettes of dark red 18 inch long lance shaped leaves with stout teeth along the margins. A various times of the year arise unbranched 2- to 3-foot-long inflorescences with dark pink to red flowers.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and give occasional to infrequent irrigation. It is hardy to at least around 25° F. Remove old foliage after flowering to keep neat. A stunning plant that can be grown in a large pot or in the ground, but be sure to use stout gloves when working with this plant as the teeth are rigid and sharp.
Hechtia rosea is native to the Mexican States of Hidalgo, Veracruz, Oaxaca and Chiapas. It is the most widespread of the Hechtia in southern Mexico, overlapping in range with several other species with hybridization occurring and itself being quite variable in form and leaf color. Hechtia is a genus in the subfamily Pitcairnioideae, of the Pineapple family, Bromeliaceae, which also includes Dyckia, Pitcairnia, and Puya. The genus was named to honor Julius Gottfried Conrad Hecht (1771-1837), a counselor to the King of Prussia and all but ones species (H. gayorum) are dioecious. The specific epithet is in reference to this plant's rose-colored flowers, which is unusual in the genus, but it could just as well be describing the foliage and for this reason a common name is Red Leaved Hechtia. Another common name is False Agave. The red flowering Hechtia long called Hechtia macdougallii is now considered to be a synonym. Our plants are a female clone that we first got at the Lotusland Exceptional Plant Auction in September 2014 that came annotated as coming Bill Baker of California Gardens as the "UCLA Type".
The information displayed on this page about Hechtia rosea is based on the research we have conducted about it in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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