Echeveria Afterglow Care: Growing The Pink Edged Succulent Echeveria

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Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ succulent is another attractive easy-care Echeveria [ech-eh-VER-ee-a] plant which belongs to the Crassulaceae family.

The succulent ‘Afterglow’ plant is a hybrid by Don Worth of San Francisco, California. He crossed two other Echeveria plant varieties – (seed parent) Echeveria Cante (White Cloud Echeveria) and the (pollen parent) “Mexican Hen” Echeveria Shaviana.

Bright pink Echeveria Afterglow growing in Garden at Cuyamaca College, El Cajon, CaliforniaPin
The Afterglow succulent growing in full sun has low water needs.

The Echeveria parent plants come originally from the mountainous regions of northern Mexico.

Today, you can now find these and many other indoor succulents along with echeverias at nurseries and grow them in your own home.


If you are looking for a beautiful, vigorous rosette succulent consider Echeveria Afterglow. Below are some tips to keep your plant healthy.

Echeveria Afterglow Care

How Big Does The Afterglow Echeveria Get?

Like most succulents, Echeveria “Afterglow” grows best in dry, warm regions and is recommended for USDA hardiness zone 10b.

However, this succulent can tolerate almost freezing temperatures for short periods of time.

Your first “Afterglow” plant, may have short, stubby stems. Atop the stems, large rosettes may reach 12” to 16” inches when mature size.

Over time the stems can grow to reach one to two feet tall with an equal spread.

Should You Remove Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ Flowers?

The flowers are typically a pinkish-lavender color with bright edges, giving it an ethereal quality. You may also notice smaller orange-red flowers appearing below the foliage.

It is recommended to remove the flower stalk, as they can interfere with the growth of the plant and take away from the beauty of the plant.

What Is The Best Lighting and Temperatures For Afterglow Echeveria

After Glow prefers lots of natural bright light throughout the day and full sun for the best color.  The “best color” translates into wide leaves with a powdery pinkish-purple look and leaf edges of brighter pink!

NOTE: Some growers recommend full sun but agree ‘Afterglow’ does fine with some shade.

While the “Purple Afterglow” is suited for warmer regions, plants can survive temperatures as low as 35° degrees Fahrenheit.



However, keep Echeveria ‘Afterglow’ indoors if you live in a colder climate.

Water Needs and Feeding

Most succulents don’t need frequent watering, as their stems often retain water. This holds true for Afterglow echeveria as well. In fact, overwatering is relatively easy.

TIP: To avoid overwatering, wait until the well-drained soil is dry to the touch before watering. Learn tips on watering Echeveria plants.

Add fertilizer during the warmer months.

However, as the temperatures start to drop, the plant begins to go dormant and doesn’t need a lot of nutrition.

Skip the fertilizer and water only occasionally until the spring weather arrives.

Soil and Transplanting Echeverias

Grow your plant in a mixture of cactus potting mix with some additional sand. A well-drained soil mix will help avoid fungal infections.

The After Glow grows best as a potted plant but can grow in the ground, in suitable climates. Remember not to grow them outdoors if the temperatures drop below 35° degrees Fahrenheit.

When repotting most Echeveria plants, transplant them during the warmer months.

Wait for the soil to dry before transplanting. When the soil is dry, separating the plant and soil from the pot is very easy.

Carefully knock away most of the old soil around the roots. Remove any dead roots you find.

If you detect any cuts in the roots, use a fungicide to protect them from fungal infections.

Finally, place the plant in its new home and fill it with soil. Wait about one week before resuming any watering to limit the risk of rot.

Grooming and Maintenance

While ‘Afterglow’ is relatively easy to care for, it does have a few basic grooming needs.

Occasionally remove dead leaves from the undergrowth.

The smaller flowers appearing below the lower leaves may need to be removed to allow the rest of the plant to grow properly.

You shouldn’t need to perform any additional grooming tasks unless you want to keep the stems from reaching their full one-foot to two-foot height.

Check out this article for more Echeveria varieties to collect and grow.

How to Propagate Echeveria Afterglow

Propagating the plant is possible by taking stem or leaf cuttings during the warmer months, preferably at the start of spring.

Offsets can be removed.

Allow the cuttings or offsets to dry for several days before placing them in their own pots. When you start watering the young plants keep them on the dry side.

Use caution to avoid overwatering.

What Pests or Disease Problem Does ‘Afterglow’ Encounter?

The main threats to all Echeveria species include root rot and fungus. These issues are typically the result of too much water.

If you detect fungus or root rot, limit your watering and treat it with a fungicide.

If this doesn’t solve the issue, try repotting in a mixture that includes more sand and less potting soil.

You may also need to watch out for weevils, aphids, and mealybugs.

Details on Controlling Succulent Pest:

These critters may damage the leaves and the plant if left to feed on the plant. Use Neem oil or an insecticide to kill them off.

TIP: You can remove the lower leaves and flowers to help reduce the risk of mealybug infestations.

Suggested Uses For Echeveria Afterglow

Afterglow like so many succulent Echeveria plants is typically grown as a potted container plant in full sun. It makes an attractive stand-alone specimen with its “purple rosettes” on display.

It also can be used as the centerpiece in an arrangement of other succulent plants.

Outdoors in the landscape, use the plant in rock gardens, Mediterranean gardens, and succulent gardens. Make sure the soil has excellent drainage.