Echeveria Blue Metal is a beautiful and fast growing Echeveria hybrid of unknown parentage. It is an absolute stand out in any collection or garden thanks to its stunning colours.
While Echeveria Blue Metal is quite an easy plat to grow there are a few things to know about this succulent. The information below is based on growing thousands of Blue Metals at our nursery Fern Farm Plants.
Description
Echeveria Blue Metal is an evergreen succulent with a symmetrical rosette type arrangement of leaves. The colour is usually shades of blue-green in the warmer months but can change to a metallic deep blue-purple and maroon.
The leaves of Echeveria Blue Metal are large and oval with a pointy tip. They are also quite sturdy.
Echeveria Blue Metal tends to be blue-green when its warm but if the plant is stressed either by cold, lack of root space or the sun, the colours can change. In summer, it is very likely the whole plant will be just green-blue, no matter what you do.
The leaves have a thin dusting of the protective substance called the farina. Farina acts like a sunscreen and helps protect against sunburn. One of the most eye-catching features of Echeveria Blue Metal is the metallic sheen, or velvety look.
Echeveria Blue Metal grows on a low stalk, close to the ground. Individual plants can reach over 30cm in diameter and 15cm height in ideal conditions where the plant is repotted regularly into a bigger pot and fresh potting mix, or has a lot of space for the roots.
Once a rosette is mature, it will produce offsets at the bottom of the rosette. Each offset will then go on to produce offsets of their own. Large and mature Blue Metal can produce upwards of 4 pups every year.
Echeveria Blue Metal flowers every spring. The blooms come up on a tall stalk where individual bell-shaped flowers open in a cascade. One rosette can send out 3 or more stalks out at once and the flowers can last for about a month.
Position & Care
Echeveria Blue Metal is quite a hardy plant that grows well in pots or garden. Mature plants should also be able to withstand strong summer sun, though we do recommend protection or move to shade during heatwaves.
Echeveria Blue Metal is also not frost tolerant but will survive outdoors if the temperature does not fall below 1C/33F. Mild frost should not kill this succulent but it is likely to cause burns on the foliage.
The best appearance is achieved when Echeveria Blue Metal is grown in as much sun as possible autumn-spring. During heatwaves of over 35C/95F Blue Metal can get burn marks from strong UV rays and should be moved into shade/under 30% shade cloth for the afternoon.
While Echeveria Blue Metal will grow in a filtered light position, it is unlikely to produce those attractive colours and the rosette will not be very compact. The chance of Blue Metal rotting are also much higher in too much shade.
In pots, use succulent potting mix and for best results, re-pot to a bigger pot every growing season. This will help the plant to grow to its full size and produce offsets.
Echeveria Blue Metal can also be grown in the garden and looks particularly fantastic in rockeries, succulent gardens or at the edges. Plants in the ground are usually hardier than those grown in pots and will not need to be watered very often, though regular watering will aid growth. Mulch or pebbles can be used as well.
Potted plants should be watered only when the potting mix has dried up from previous watering. Do not spray the foliage. Properly wet the roots and then leave to dry. The frequency of watering will change based on the temperature and seasons. In summer watering may be needed a couple of time per week while in winter it can be a couple of times per month.
Echeveria Blue Metal is not a suitable indoor plant, other than for over-wintering. The only time this plant will have a chance at surviving inside long term is if it’s grown under plant growing lights or in a super bright sunroom.
Propagation
Echeveria Blue Metal can be propagated by offsets, leaves and seeds. By far the easiest way to propagate Blue Metal is offsets, though leaves have high strike rate too. As for seeds, while possible it can prove difficult to raise this plant from seed.
Echeveria Blue Metal offsets are not difficult to propagate at all. The main thing is to wait until they are big enough so they can be safely separated from the mother plant. Please read this article if you’d like to know more about offset propagation.
Blue Metal leaves are incredibly easy to propagate as well. One leaf can grow as many as 3 heads. For a guide on leaf propagation, see this article.
Seeds may not be a great idea for a number of reasons. One, it can be hard to find a reliable seed seller that will actually sell you seed that has not been contaminated with other pollen of other succulents/ sell seeds that are viable. Two germination of the seeds can be also be unreliable and three, it can take a very long time (years) for a seed to grow to a decent sized plant.
Whichever propagation method is used, Echeveria Blue Metal should only be propagated in the growing season. This would be spring and summer, though do be careful young plants do not get burned in strong summer sun.
Pests
Echeveria Blue Metal is susceptible to all the usual succulent pests, in particular the mealy bugs. Aphids can attack the flowers and young offsets, but mealy bugs can burrow deep between the leaves and also attack the root system.
For a list of animals that like to eat succulents, you can read another one of our articles here. We also have a separate, in-depth article about mealy bugs and aphids.
Toxicity
As most Echeverias, Blue Metal is not listed as toxic to humans, dogs, cats, other pets or livestock, though it is not recommended to consume this plant as food.
Where can I get it?
Echeveria Blue Metal should be stocked by garden centres, specialist succulent nurseries/ online nurseries.