Dudleya & Echeveria

Dudleya is a genus of more than 50 small rosetted succulent plants native to Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Baja California, Mexico and coastal islands and possibly extending into S. America.
 
Echeveria (Name: Atanasio Echeverría y Codoy, 18th c. botanist) are related to Dudleya. Just one species of Echeveria is native to Texas and over a hundred species can be found in Mexico, central and S. America. Echeveria leaves will root and form new plants whereas Dudleya leaves will not. It is possible to create an impressive display of different Echeveria species and cultivars.
 
Cultivation: Dudleyas and Echeverias are insufficiently hardy to survive a cold, wet winter, but they are often used as summer bedding plants and housed under glass for the winter where they only need to be frost-free. The large distinctive rosettes of some cultivars make attractive "feature plants". Cultivars with smaller rosettes can be used in carpet bedding.
 
As with many succulent plants, a sunny position is needed to obtain an attractive compact rosettte and for the leaves of some cultivars to colour up. However, most species are happy with cool but frost-free winter conditions. In a poor light the plant will quickly become soft and etiolated and prone to fungal damping off. Remove dead basal leaves from rosettes to reduce the risk of fungal attack.
 
The rosettes can usually be re-rooted very easily. If the stem below the rosette becomes long and unsightly it is a simple matter to cut it off an inch or so below the rosette and re-root. Echeverias like a slightly acidic, sandy free-draining mixture but dislike lime.
 
Cultivars with white farinose leaves should not be watered from above if growing for show. The slightest touch will mark the farina, spoiling the result of years of cultivation. Mealy bug is the main pest and can be avoided by watering with systemic insecticides containing imidacloprid.