Echeveria Lilacina: Caring Tips for the Ghost Echeveria

Echeveria lilacina, also known as Ghost Echeveria, is a very popular species among rare plant enthusiasts. The flower surprises with its beautiful appearance and the coloring of the leaves. We have collected detailed information about this succulent and would like to share with you its characteristics and how to grow it at home.

Classification and description of Echeveria lilacina

Echeveria lilacina is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae, also known as Ghost Echeveria. The species name lilacina means “lilac”. This succulent is native to the Nuevo Leon region of northern Mexico. It is a small, compact, slow-growing plant with rosettes that can reach 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. The leaves are thick, fleshy, and powdery. They are pale bluish-gray with touches of lavender or pink around the edges and have a pointed, spoon-shaped tip. During the colder months, the leaves take on a lilac hue, and under heat stress, they turn slightly pink. They are arranged in a dense rosette, with each leaf overlapping the next in a spiral pattern.

When mature, the succulent produces tall spikes of small bell-shaped pink or yellow flowers. The flowers are arranged in a loose, branching inflorescence that can grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall. The flowers are very showy and appear on reddish, curved but relatively low 6 inch (15 cm) stems, ranging in color from pale pink to orange or red.

Echeveria purpurea blooms in late winter or early spring.

How to grow Echeveria lilacina indoors

The rules for caring for this species are very similar to those for other Echeverias. Let’s briefly describe the basic needs of this flower.

Soil

The succulent grows well in a well-drained soil mixture for succulents with an ideal pH of about 6.0 (slightly acidic). You can make your own soil mixture by mixing equal parts of coarse sand, perlite, and general potting soil.

Lighting

Echeveria lilacina grows best in full sun or light shade.

Indoors, a window facing east or west that receives four to six hours of sunlight per day is ideal.

Temperature requirements

The flower prefers an average summer temperature of 64 to 77 °F (18 to 25 °C). In winter, it tolerates short periods of frost well, but is best kept at 41-50 °F (5-10 °C). In cooler fall temperatures, the foliage becomes more colorful than during the active summer growing season

Free application for plant identification by photo

Echeveria elegans or “Mexican Snowballs”

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Watering

Water Ghost Echeveria regularly in summer and spring. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. You can allow the top layer of soil to dry a bit between waterings. Reduce watering in winter.

Air Humidity

Good ventilation is important to minimize the risk of pests and diseases during the summer.

Reducing excessive humidity in cool, dormant conditions is important for successful indoor growing.

Fertilizer

Echeveria lilacina does not need regular fertilization. Too much fertilizer or too much nutrient-rich soil can actually harm these succulents, causing root burn or rapid growth and elongation. If desired, the succulent can be fertilized once a year in early spring with a weak, balanced fertilizer designed for cacti and succulents. Be sure to water the succulent before fertilizing.

Repotting Ghost Echeveria

Echeveria lilacina is a slow-growing succulent that does not require frequent transplanting. Only transplant this flower when it has completely outgrown the container, such as when the roots grow out of the drainage holes.

Choose a new container that is wider than the old one and has drainage holes. Carefully remove the flower from its current container and gently loosen the soil around the roots. Place the plant in the new container in fresh soil. Allow the plant to dry out for about a week, then begin watering lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.

Propagation of Echeveria lilacina

The succulent can be propagated by dividing lateral shoots and by leaf cuttings. However, Echeveria lilacina rarely produces offspring, so it is usually easier to propagate from leaves.

• Carefully detach a leaf from the main stem, making sure that the base of the leaf remains intact.
• Place the newly detached leaf on dry soil in a location that receives bright indirect light.
• Don’t water the cuttings until small pink roots begin to sprout at the top, after which you can lightly moisten the soil once a week.
• After about a month, you should notice small rosettes of echeveria forming at the ends of the leaves where the roots originally sprouted. Wait until the old leaf is completely wilted before separating it from the new succulent and repotting the plant.

Leaf propagation is not always successful, so it is recommended to plant several cuttings at the same time to increase the chances of success.

Common Pests and Diseases of Echeveria lilacina

Most echeverias are succulents that are relatively resistant to most types of pests, although they can sometimes be plagued by mealybugs or aphids. If you notice an infestation of either of these parasitic insects, use insecticidal soap or soapy water to remove the pests.

Excessive watering will cause fungal disease and rot, which will undoubtedly kill your plant. Provide excellent ventilation to ensure good air circulation around your plants. This will greatly reduce the risk of bacterial and fungal infections and insect problems. Be extremely careful of high humidity in cool weather.

Varieties of Echeveria lilacina

Nurseries have bred many popular hybrids of lilac Echeveria. We will describe the most popular varieties.

Echeveria Lilac Dream

A hybrid between Echeveria lilacina and an unknown species. The flower has symmetrical rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves. The color of the leaves varies from bluish-grey to silver, and the flowers are reddish-orange.

Echeveria ‘Lola’

A hybrid of Echeveria tippy and Echeveria. The succulent forms rosettes of gray-blue leaves with a pink-purple hue.

Flowers are yellow or coral and bloom in spring on short stems.

Echeveria ‘Moondust’

A hybrid of Echeveria lilacina and Echeveria laui. A slow-growing plant that grows to 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter.

Its pale leaves are covered with a waxy patina that rubs off when touched.

Echeveria ‘Orion’

A hybrid of Echeveria lilacina and Echeveria pulidonis.

The flower grows to 8 inches (20 cm) tall and 6 inches (15 cm) across, with gray-green leaves with reddish edges.

Source: plantingman.com