Last updated on August 25th, 2023 at 11:58 am
A misty lilac echeveria (Lilac mist succulent) makes a wonderful focal point in any small garden or terrarium. They have dark, reddish-purple leaves and white or pink flowers, depending on variety, and grow up to 6 inches tall and wide, depending on the variety. The best part about these plants? They’re incredibly easy to care for!
How to care for your succulent will vary depending on the type of succulents you have and their individual needs, but generally, succulents need little to no water, so if you over-water them, they will quickly die. Let’s take a look at the lilac mist echeveria, or lilac mist succulent (Echeveria lilacina), to see how best to care for this plant indoors and out.
The misty lilac echeveria is one of the most beautiful succulents around, but it’s not nearly as common as some of its cousins, such as the crassula or aloe plants. Because it looks like a delicate lily plant, this succulent does need to be handled with care when you’re repotting and replanting them, and the potting mix needs to drain well to avoid overwatering.
Let’s take a look at how to properly care for your lilac mist succulent so that it grows beautifully in your home or garden.
Origin and distribution
Native to Mexico and South America, echeverias are popular for their elegant form and showy flowers. When properly cared for, these evergreen succulents remain surprisingly compact.
Also known as Mexican Hens-and-Chicks, Echeveria can thrive both indoors and out. However, you may choose to protect these plants from heavy frosts or snowfall by bringing them indoors during the winter months.
Visty lilac echeveria grows best in full sun with soil that is well-drained but still moist. Planting misty lilac echeveria in a terrarium would be a great way to give this plant the perfect environment! All it needs is bright light and high humidity.
In temperate regions, it has to be grown under glass or as a houseplant.
Misty lilac echeveria propagation
It’s possible to propagate misty lilac echeveria by cutting pieces off of an established plant. Most commonly, new echeverias are propagated by leaf cuttings. It’s important to know that new plants grown from leaf cuttings may not share a parent plant’s characteristics, but they do tend to flower more quickly than those grown from seeds.
They can also be difficult to grow and maintain because they’re prone to problems like fungal infections. In order to avoid these issues, it’s recommended to start the plant in a high-quality potting mix with good drainage and move it outdoors when there is less chance of frost or freezing temperatures.
Misty lilac echeveria care information
If you don’t have a lot of light in your house, place your misty lilac echeveria near a window or near a skylight. If you do have a lot of natural light in your home, keep it on an east or west-facing windowsill.
It’s best to remove the plant from an original container when transplanting it into garden pots. Use well-draining potting soil and place at least one inch of gravel or broken pot shards in the bottom of pots to prevent rotting.
Light requirement
It is best to place your misty lilac echeveria succulents in an area that receives bright indirect light. The less light they receive, the slower they will grow and they may begin to look sickly. Direct sunlight can cause the burning of leaves which will result in a brownish color on those leaves.
Many people think that placing their succulents in too much direct sun will cause them to die quickly but there are many ways to successfully maintain a healthy environment for your succulents so that you can enjoy them for years.
Soil/potting mix
The soil mix you choose for your echeveria is important. As a succulent, echeverias prefer their soil to be well-draining. A general-purpose cactus and succulent potting mix will provide excellent drainage for lilac mist echeverias.
If you’re choosing to use regular garden soil or potting mix, make sure that it has good drainage and that you can still see pebbles/rocks at least half an inch below the surface.
Watering
The misty lilac echeveria thrives in hot, arid conditions. During their active growing season, they need to be watered every two to three days with room-temperature water.
When growing your echeveria in cooler weather or during its dormant period, it will need less frequent watering, once a week should do it. Like most succulents, misty lilacs love consistency when it comes to watering.
Fertilizer
One of the easiest ways to keep your succulents looking great is to fertilize them once or twice a year. As with most houseplants, you can use an all-purpose fertilizer diluted at half strength; many succulents grow best if they’re fed in late winter and again in late summer.
It’s also helpful to fertilize if your plants are overwatered, too much moisture deprives them of nutrients and makes them look pale and unhealthy.
Temperature
These succulents thrive in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, so they’re appropriate for most areas of North America. If you notice your plant dropping leaves, check to see if it’s getting too cold. It should be fine at cooler temperatures in winter as long as it’s not freezing.
Though its stems are thick, this succulent is sensitive to frost. When bringing a new one home from the store or garden center, make sure it is placed on a dry surface until the soil dries out or becomes moist again.
Humidity
Forcing a succulent to dry out or go through extreme wet and dry periods will cause permanent damage. You’ll need to keep your echeveria in an area that stays at 40-60% humidity year-round.
If you live in a high humidity area, it’s best to bring your plant indoors during extremely hot or cold months, as well as when you know it’s going to rain for more than a day or two.
Pruning
To keep misty lilac echeveria in shape, it’s best to pinch off any leaves that are growing inward. This will ensure they grow straight and help keep your plant strong and healthy.
Additionally, some succulents develop fine roots just below the soil line – known as runners or pups – that can be easily removed if you don’t want them. When this happens, snip the pup from near its base with scissors or a sharp knife and then cover up the exposed root end with potting mix.
When to repot
Repot a succulent that needs transplanting when its roots fill half of its container. You’ll know it’s time to repot your succulents when they become pot-bound, but remember that you should never handle them while they are wet; keep them dry until you’re ready to root them.
A good way to repot is to remove as much soil from around their roots as possible and place them in a new container with fresh soil mix.
Dormancy/Winter rest
During the winter months, some plants, such as succulents and cacti, enter a period of dormancy. To keep them healthy during their winter rest and to ensure their growth in springtime, it’s important to prepare your plants for dormancy.
Misty lilac echeveria is pretty easy to care for during dormancy and can be kept outdoors during any season of the year. Here are some simple tips to get your lilacs through their winters happily!
Misty lilac echeveria flower & fragrance
While many echeverias have purple or red leaves, sometimes it’s hard to find a pot of purple-leaved succulents that don’t include any pink ones. That is, until now.
The misty lilac echeveria, also known as lilac mist, has leaves that are bright violet on top and shimmering light green on their undersides.
Growth rate
Misty lilac echeveria is slow-growing, and it usually takes a few years to start producing offsets. While it’s still relatively small, you can prune and shape your lilac mist echeveria however you like.
It’s probably better to wait until your plant grows large enough that root disturbance won’t impact its health. Once it’s mature, though, you can do pretty much anything with it—it can even survive being completely potbound!
Toxicity
The misty lilac echeveria is not toxic, but like many succulents, it may cause an allergic reaction in some people. Inhaling its dust or fumes may also lead to respiratory problems.
For these reasons, it’s a good idea to keep your misty lilac echeveria out of small children’s reach and avoid keeping it in areas where you spend most of your time—your bedroom, office space, etc.
USDA hardiness zones
Misty lilac echeveria thrives best in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, but it can be grown as an indoor plant elsewhere. The succulent is not tolerant of frost and cold weather, so it should be planted during the summer months.
The other issue with this plant is that it does not do well in extremely dry or wet soil conditions. If watered too often, the plants’ leaves will rot and turn brown from too much water on the leaves.
Pests and diseases
It can be tricky to keep misty lilac echeveria happy and healthy in your home, but luckily there are several steps you can take to reduce their risk of contracting common diseases.
One of these is to monitor for pests, as insects can sometimes transmit disease from one plant to another. If you notice pests on any of your echeverias, such as mealybugs or spider mites, immediately begin treating them with a safe insecticide spray.
You should also remove any dead leaves and discard the soil if it appears too wet or too dry. Finally, make sure that your plants have plenty of indirect light indoors and access to plenty of fresh air outdoors by placing them near windows that are not facing direct sunlight.
Conclusion
Overall, Misty lilac echeveria plants are relatively easy to grow and require little care. They also make a great addition to any household or business that wants a unique plant that requires minimal attention.
Feel free to experiment with different soil mixes and fertilizers if you’re looking for more variation in your lilac mist succulents.
