Echeveria desmetiana
Peacock echeveria, Echeveria desmetiana, is an incredibly popular succulent.
You see these plants displayed prominently in restaurants, in stylish hotels, and surviving on windowsills in the homes of green thumbs and plant-parent newbies alike.
Everyone from serious succulent aficionados to people who can’t tell the difference between a tree and a ground cover loves the peacock echeveria.
Their rosettes of blue-gray leaves tinged in blush red are instantly recognizable. While the flowers certainly aren’t the focal point, they’re a treat when they arch over the rosette with coral blossoms in the summer.
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It doesn’t hurt that they require practically no maintenance, being truly “set and forget” type plants. I’d be willing to bet that more peacock echeverias die from gardeners giving them too much care rather than from neglect.
You can grow peacock echeveria in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11 or indoors as a houseplant.
In our guide to growing echeveria, we discuss how to cultivate these easy going succulents in your home and garden.
If you’re ready to add peacock echeveria to your collection, or you already have one and you want to know how to keep it happy, let’s get started.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
Curious about the history of peacock echeveria and how it came to be so popular? Let’s go over that, first.
Cultivation and History
Echeveria desmetiana (sometimes incorrectly labeled as E. peacockii or E. subsessilis) is indigenous to central and southwestern Mexico where it grows wild on rocky mountainous hillsides.
The genus name honors Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, a Mexican botanical artist and naturalist who contributed illustrations to “Flora Mexicana,” the definitive book about Mexico’s plant life.
There are about 150 species in this genus, and it’s pronounced “etch-eh-veer-ia” or “ek-eh-veer-ia,” depending on whether you’re a Latin purist or not (Latin doesn’t have the “tch” sound).
The specific epithet is named after Louis de Smet. While this Belgian succulent expert didn’t discover the plant, he ran a nursery that specialized in succulents like peacock echeveria, and he helped this species find broader appreciation.
The former specific epithet and common name of “Peacock” is after grower John T. Peacock who had a massive collection of succulents in London, England. His collection was purchased by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 1889.
The leaves are sub-ovate to oblong and about two inches long and an inch wide, though they can grow twice this size. They have white, gray, or blue bloom on the surface and red margins.
Peacock echeveria grows to about five and a half inches wide, though some grow larger, up to nine inches, and those in containers might stay smaller.
The rosette of leaves may be stemless or attached to a short stem. Peacock echeveria plants put out offsets and can form dense clusters that spread into available space.
In fact, it can be used as a ground cover to fill in dry, sunny areas.
When peacock echeveria blooms in the summer, you’ll be treated to fluted flowers with a red exterior and a yellow interior with yellow anthers.
These blossoms grow on a long, unbranched stem that can be twice as tall as the succulent itself; each stem can have nearly two dozen blossoms.
Peacock Echeveria Propagation
Like many succulents, peacock echeveria is easy to propagate. You can sow seeds, divide offsets, or take leaf cuttings.
Let’s go over each of these methods:
From Seed
Growing peacock echeveria from seed isn’t too challenging with one caveat: you must source fresh seeds.
Harvesting them from an existing specimen is best, but if you need to purchase seeds, make sure you buy them from a reputable seller.
Unfortunately, there are some unreliable sellers out there who will send you seeds that are old or might not even be the species advertised.
You can propagate seeds at any time of year, though the light conditions are best in spring and summer – you’ll need to use a grow light if you start in fall or winter.
Fill seed trays with soilless or cactus and succulent potting medium.
You can purchase potting mixes formulated for cacti and succulents or make your own, using our easy recipe.
If you want to go the purchase route, I recommend Tank’s-Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix.
It comes in one-and-a-half cubic-foot bags and is available at Arbico Organics.
Tank’s-Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix
Moisten the soil and then mix the seeds with a bit of sand. The purpose of the sand is to assist in spreading the tiny seeds evenly. Sprinkle the seeds over the top of the potting medium.
Cover the tray with plastic. Some trays come with a clear plastic humidity dome, but you can always just cover yours with cling wrap or something similar. This helps keep the potting medium moist.
Place the tray somewhere it will receive at least six hours of direct sunlight or under grow lights for eight hours per day. Keep the soil evenly moist at all times.
It can take two or more weeks for the seeds to germinate, so be patient. When a majority of the seeds have germinated, take the cover off and reduce the amount of water you give.
The surface of the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings.
Allow the new seedlings to grow for six months or so in their tray before moving them to individual pots or outdoors.
If you are planning to move them outdoors, harden off the seedlings for a week before you put them in the ground.
Hardening off is the process of exposing plants to the conditions of the outdoors prior to planting. The sun is stronger and it’s windier outside than it is indoors.
Put your seedlings outside in a protected area for an hour and then bring them indoors.
The next day, add an hour. Keep adding an hour each day for a week. At this point you can plant them outside.
Our guide to starting succulents from seed has more information.
From Leaf Cuttings
Most echeveria species propagate extremely well from cuttings. Pretty much every single leaf that you remove will create a new specimen.
The process has several steps and takes up to a year, but it’s worth it if you want a reliable way to grow new peacock echeverias that are genetic replicas of the parent.
Start the process in the spring when the plant is putting out new growth. Grip a leaf and then press down and pull to the side. It should pop off the plant. Take as many leaves as you want from healthy rosettes.
Place the leaves in a single layer on a tray or other flat surface and put it in a place with bright, indirect light and good air circulation.
Let the leaves remain in this area until the bottom of the leaves start to develop roots or new leaves. This can take up to a month, so don’t give up if it has only been a week and you don’t see growth.
When you see growth, fill a tray with a mix of seed starting medium and vermiculite at a ratio of about two parts medium to one part vermiculite. Spray the mix so that it is lightly moist but not soaking wet.
Place wood dowels or some other form of support to lean the leaves against. Place the base of the leaf onto the top of the soil. Don’t press the leaf deep in, you just want it to have contact with the medium. Set the tray in a location that receives about three hours of direct light per day.
Lightly moisten the soil surface every week or two depending on your climate. The soil should dry out completely between each watering.
Within three to six months, you should start to see small rosettes forming at the base of each leaf. In the soil, the new peacock echeveria will have developed some roots.
At this point you can pot up each individual plant. To do this, fill a three-inch pot for each plant with moistened succulent medium. Dig a little hole in the center of each pot.
Gently and slowly lift up each new plant. Set the plant into the hole you made with the roots facing down and the rosette upright in the soil. The original leaf will probably be at a bit of an angle. Firm the soil around the base of the rosette.
Next, place the container in a location that receives a bit more direct light, four or five hours per day. Water as you would an adult peacock echeveria and sit tight.
You want to let the plant mature for the next six months or so until it’s ready to plant outdoors or in a larger container in the spring.
From Offsets
Peacock echeveria succulents produce pups, also known as plantlets, offshoots, or offsets.
These are ready-made little clones that can be separated from the parent and propagated on their own.
While the flowers on peacock echeveria grow out of the center of the rosette, the offsets appear underneath the mother plant. When these appear, you can snip them off and put them in their own container or replant in the ground.
To do this, wait until the pup is about an inch in diameter and then locate the base of the stem. Use a clean craft knife or scalpel to cut it off as close to the parent as possible.
Try to take up as much of the plantlet’s root structure with it as you can. Don’t worry, not all plantlets develop in a spot that enables it to grow roots, so just do what you can.
You might want to wear rubber or gardening gloves while you do this because some people are sensitive to the sap that these plants exude when cut.
Set the offshoot on a paper towel out of direct sunlight for 24 to 48 hours to allow it to develop a callus. This reduces the chances of rot when you plant.
While you wait, fill the new pot with cactus potting mix. Don’t use a pot that’s too large, as this increases the risk of rot. A two- to four-inch pot will do, as long as it has drainage holes and is clean.
When the plantlet has formed a callus, which means it doesn’t feel soft or wet at the cut section, place it in the growing container with any roots buried. Firm up the medium around the pup and add just a little water.
If the plantlet lacks roots, you’ll want to mist the growing pup once a day to provide it with the moisture it needs as it develops roots.
Place the container in a spot that receives bright, indirect sunlight all day long. Give the pup three months to develop and then plant it in its permanent home. If that’s outside, harden it off before planting.
Learn more about propagating succulents from offsets in our guide.
Transplanting
Whether you started seeds or leaf cuttings, or you bought a peacock echeveria, at some point you need to repot it into a new container or plant it in the ground.
Echeverias don’t have deep or extensive roots, so it’s important to take care not to disturb the roots they do have. Squeeze the sides of the growing container to loosen the soil from the sides of the pot.
Dig a hole that’s the same size as the container the peacock echeveria is currently growing in, and gently remove the plant from its pot.
Lower the roots into the hole you made and firm up the medium around it. Give it a little water, just enough to moisten the soil.
How to Grow Peacock Echeveria
The ideal temperature range for peacock echeveria is between 68 and 86°F, though they can tolerate a wider range. They are frost tender and should be brought indoors when temperatures drop below 40°F.
Given that peacock echeveria grows in rocky soil on hillsides, it should come as no surprise that it requires well-draining soil.
If you’ve got a low-lying area of your yard filled with heavy clay soil, don’t plant peacock echeveria! Find something else or put your echeveria in a pot instead.
The soil should have a pH around 6.0 to 7.5.
If you’re growing your peacock echeveria in a succulent planter, use a potting medium formulated for cacti and succulents like the one mentioned above.
When you water – and it won’t be that often – avoid watering on the foliage. Water that pools inside the rosette will cause rot.
If the plant is in a pot, you can tilt it a little and drip some water on the soil underneath the leaves.
Outdoors, use a hose or watering can with a long neck that will let you apply the water under the leaves, or at least super close to them.
The soil should be allowed to completely dry out in between watering. To learn about the best water to use for succulents, read our guide.
While these succulents can survive in partial sun, full sun will result in more of the pretty red coloration on the foliage.
If you want lots of color, put them in strong light as long as it isn’t too hot – they’ll also flower better in full sun.
The exception is if you live in a humid climate. Too much heat and humidity can cause stress. A little afternoon shade in super hot climates won’t go amiss, either.
Remember, peacock echeveria plants don’t like temperatures much higher than 86°F.
Too little light will cause them to grow leggy, with bare stems and fewer leaves.
Peacock echeveria grows slowly. Don’t worry if it doesn’t reach its full size and start flowering and spreading until five years or more have passed.
If you don’t want the plant to spread, grow it in a pot or a contained area plant in a container or a contained area.
They don’t tend to become invasive in most areas, but peacock echeveria will spread via offsets and fill in the space around it.
Growing Tips
- Plant in well-draining soil or succulent potting mix.
- Grow in full sun or afternoon shade in hot, humid regions.
- Allow the soil to dry out in between watering.
Maintenance
As the plant ages, the lower leaves will turn yellow, dry, and die off. This isn’t a sign of a problem; it’s just how they mature.
You should gently pluck them off as you see them, if you allow them to remain, they can provide a hiding place for pests and encourage fungal issues.
These plants will put out pups at the base of the mother as they grow and mature.
You can leave these in place and they’ll fill in the underside of the mother plant, creating big mounds. Or, you can remove them for propagation or to prevent the spread.
Even though the plants enjoy lean soil, peacock echeveria can benefit from an application of fertilizer once or twice during the growing season.
Choose a mild, balanced product or one specifically formulated for succulents.
You can learn more about how to fertilize succulents in our guide.
Peacock Echeveria Cultivars to Select
Echeveria lovers are working hard to breed lots of cultivars and hybrids that vary slightly from the species plant.
Here are some of the best on the market:
Blue Bird
‘Blue Bird’ is a hybrid cross between E. colorata and E. desmetiana.
It was bred by California succulent breeder Frank Reinelt. It looks similar to peacock echeveria except with bluer leaves that take on a pink hue on the margins during the cooler weather.
Blue Burrito
Another hybrid, this time an intergeneric cross between Sedum morganianum ‘Burrito’ and peacock echeveria, ‘Blue Burrito’ has powdery blue leaves with a hint of green and pink, and pink blossoms.
The leaves are clustered in rosettes that appear at the end of short stems.
Variegata
This cultivar has pale cream margins on the edges of the spoon-shaped, silver-blue leaves. Otherwise, it’s identical to the species.
Managing Pests and Disease
In general, peacock echeveria are problem free, especially if you take care not to overwater and avoid splashing water on the rosette instead of the soil.
There are two sapsucking pests that visit echeveria succulents. Both will cause yellowing leaves that eventually curl up and fall off the plant.
Mealybugs are fuzzy, waxy white insects that are somewhat flat, group together, and don’t move much. You can gently scrape these off the plant or wipe them with isopropyl alcohol.
Keep a look out for spider mites. They’re common both indoors and out, and love plants that thrive in dry conditions, like succulents.
These can be washed off the plant, followed by an application of neem oil.
Soft tissue rot and root rot are also problems you may run into. Both are caused by too much standing water on and around the plants, and both can be avoided by taking care not to overwater and planting in well-draining soil.
Learn more about rot in succulents in our guide.
Best Uses for Peacock Echeveria
The color and shape of these charming succulents has made them popular both as a single specimen in a decorative pot, indoors or out, or in large clusters in the garden.
Mix them with other succulents to fill drought-prone spots, areas that could use some erosion control, or in xeriscaping.
They’re also fabulous in rock gardens and don’t forget an adorable succulent fairy garden.
Indoors, I love them lined up in groups of three or five as a centerpiece of a long table, or lining a windowsill.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Perennial succulent | Flower/Foliage Color: | Pink/blue, green, pink |
| Native to: | Southwestern Mexico | Maintenance: | Low |
| Hardiness (USDA Zones): | 9-12 | Tolerance: | Drought, heat |
| Bloom Time/Season: | Summer | Soil Type: | Porous, sandy, gritty |
| Exposure: | Full sun | Soil pH: | 6.0-7.5 |
| Time to Maturity: | 120 days (seed), up to 4 years (root stock) | Soil Drainage: | Well-draining |
| Spacing: | 6 inches | Attracts: | Bees, butterflies |
| Planting Depth: | Crown at soil level | Companion Planting: | Cacti and other succulents |
| Height: | 6 inches | Uses: | Borders, containers, rock gardens, specimen, xeriscaping |
| Spread: | 6 inches | Family: | Crassulaceae |
| Water Needs: | Low | Genus: | Echeveria |
| Common Pests and Diseases: | Mealybugs, spider mites; root rot, soft tissue rot | Species: | Desmetiana |
Put On a Dramatic Display
Peacock echeveria might be small in size, but these succulents make a big impact. The color and symmetry demand all the attention.
And now that you know how easy they are to grow, no doubt you’ll be filling your home or garden with them. I could hardly blame you if you did.
So, spill the beans. What’s your plan for peacock echeveria? Will you line your kitchen windowsill? Or save a drought-prone slope from further erosion? Share in the comments section below!
And for more information about echeveria and other succulents, check out these guides next:
