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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: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 10-15° F |
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Echeveria agavoides 'Maria' (Wax Agave) - This succulent forms a large 14 inch wide tight rosette of fleshy, apple-green leaves that have red edges most pronounced toward the dark red terminal spine. In spring and early summer appear the red flowers with yellow tips. Best planted in a well-drained soil in a bright light or full sun (coastal) but will take considerable shade. Irrigate infrequently to occasionally. Cold hardy to about 14° F. This large Echeveria agavoides was selected by Frank Reinelt (1900-1979) from crosses he made between Echeveria agavoides and E. agavoides 'Prolifera'. It is notable for its large size, red leaf tips and cold hardiness - reportedly tolerating to 14° F or less. Mr. Reinelt, who operated Vetterle and Reinelt Nursery in Capitola, California and was once called the "Dean of Plant Breeders", was more famous for his primrose, begonia and delphiniums but also worked with succulent plants. This is a great plant in pots, a pathway edging or in a rock garden. This plant was distributed by the International Succulent Introduction as ISI# 92-45 from cutting taken from plants at the Huntington Botanic Gardens (HBG #71216). We have grown this great cultivar at San Marcos Growers since 1997. Another common name for this species is Carpet Echeveria. 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. This plant is highly sought after by international buyers which has led us to exclaim "how do you solve a problem like Maria!"
Information displayed on this page about Echeveria agavoides 'Maria' 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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