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Echeveria cuspidata var. zaragozae - A small usually solitary rosette forming succulent to around 4 inches wide with many blue-green thick succulent 2 inch long by half inch wide leaves that are strongly convex on the lower surface and blushed with pink on the upper half that terminates in a prominent dark red pointed tip. In late winter and early spring here in coastal California appear the flowering stems, either singly or up to 5, bear a long-lasting display of urn-shaped flowers in small clusters that are pink on the exterior and yellow inside.
Plant in cool full to part day sun in a well-draining soil and water occasionally but avoid water collecting in center of plant. Hardy to 30°F.
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 (Rudolf) 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.
Echeveria cuspidata var. zaragozae is a smaller growing variety of the variable Echeveria cuspidata was described by Myron Kimnach in the January-February 2005 issue of the Cactus and Succulent Journal (Vol. 7 N.1) where it was compared other varieties of the species and noted to have leaves that are less cuspidate (tapering to a firm tip) and instead are more obovate to obovate-cuneate with a more squared leaf, but still having to sharp tip (mucronate). It is thought to have been first collected in 1972 by Charles Glass, perhaps accompanied by Robert Foster (who were longtime friends, business partners and editors of the CSSA journal) on gypsum hills near Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. 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 specific epithet is the Latin word meaning abruptly tipped with a sharp rigid point in reference to the leaf shape and the varietal name references the collection location. Our plants grown from seed received in 2021 that was collected from plants growing at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek that were originally grown from seed originally collected north of General Ignacio Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
This information about Echeveria cuspidata var. zaragozae displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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