Almost all echeveria will succumb to winter wet and cold in the UK, but not this one … not unless we have a particularly extreme season. It is easily the most able to cope with whatever weather is thrown at it. So I was very excited to come across this stunning succulent (bought from Bob Brown at Cotswold Garden Flowers) which positively gives of its best, the colder it gets. From now until late winter the whole plant will gradually turn an eye-catching red, at which point the flower buds will start to form. The flowers are yellow/coral red.
All succulents look great in containers, whether grown as single specimens or in mixed groups, but by the end of the summer hard choices have to be made, as my greenhouse is on the small side, and I am hard pressed to find room for all the tender treasures. This is why E rosea is worth seeking out, it positively needs to be outside in the cold.
Remember that wet is the killer, so a free draining soil is essential, which translates as … loads of gravel or grit in the potting mix. Mine grows in a pot by the front door which is where I can enjoy its every nuanced change.
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