The Echeveria peacockii is one of many Echeveria plants featuring a beautiful rosette of thick, rich green succulent leaves.
Pronounced [ech-eh-VER-ee-a pee-KOK-ee-eye], echeveria peacockii is also called Peacock Echeveria.
The echeveria is part of the family Crassulaceae. This Echeveria variety is native to Mexico and often found at higher altitudes, where it enjoys dry, warm climates.
Like most succulents, it’s easy to grow indoors, if you avoid overwatering and give it enough sunlight. With a few additional plant care tips, it’s likely to thrive for many years.
Echeveria Peacockii Care
Size and Growth
The small Peacockii Echeveria is a succulent plant with rosettes typically only reaching up to six inches in diameter. The foliage is silver blue and often tipped with red.
The leaves are rounded, thick, and soft, and also don’t get very tall. Most potted peacocks measure three to five inches tall.
Due to the small size of these plants, they are often grown in tiny two-inch pots.
Outdoors, the plant can reach up to 12″ inches in height and six inches or more across.
NOTE: Echeveria peacockii is sold under several names. In Europe, it is known as Echeveria desmetiana “peacockii”, Cotyledon peacockii, and Echeveria subsessilis.
Flowering and Fragrance
The Echeveria peacockii produces spikes of bright orange-red flowers in the summer. The flowers bloom from long, slender stalks extending from the center of the rosette.
The plant often produces 20 or more flowers each season when grown in ideal conditions. Indoor plants may not produce grow as many flowers, but they should still bloom.
Light and Temperature
For optimal growth, place the plant in partial shade in USDA hardiness zone 9 to 11. It prefers mild, dry climates and cover from direct sunlight.
If grown indoors, set it in any window with bright light (partial sun) but does not get direct afternoon full sun.
The peacockii echeveria cannot tolerate frost. If kept outdoors in cool regions, bring the plant indoors for the winter.
Water Needs and Feeding
The peacock is drought tolerant. It doesn’t need frequent watering, especially during the winter. Follow these simple tips to ensure that the plant doesn’t get overwatered:
- Never pour water into the rosette
- Allow the soil to dry between watering
- Do not water during dormancy
- Fertilizer can be used, but only sparingly. Using too much fertilizer may lead to excessive growth, weakening the plant.
More on Watering Succulent Echeveria Plants
Soil and Transplanting
These echeveria species grow best in fast-draining soil. Common recommendations include cactus mix, sandy soil, or regular potting soil with gravel and pumice.
The soil needs to drain fast to keep the roots from soaking in moisture, which may lead to rot.
Transplanting is only necessary when the ‘peacock’ outgrows its home. Repotting should be done in the early spring after the plant wakes from dormancy. Always use a pot with drainage holes.
Maintenance & Grooming
Remove dead leaves throughout the year. Dead foliage provides places for pests to hide and water to collect. Cut the dead leaves close to the base, allowing new foliage to take its place.
Propagating Echeveria Peacockii
The peacockii is a type of “hen and chicks” plant, which means that it produces offsets. These offsets around the base of the mother plant are the best option for propagating the plant.
The offsets grow throughout the year, but they should be collected in the early spring. This is also the right time of the season to transplant the mother plant if needed.
When collecting offsets, try to cut them from the mother plant close to the base. The offsets should dry for a day before getting planted in the same soil as the main plant.
Propagation is also possible with the leaf, root, or stem cuttings. Take the cuttings in the spring and follow these steps:
- Always cut close to the base when cutting the leaves
- Set cuttings on a piece of paper towel to dry for 24 hours
- Use a rooting hormone on roots and leaves
- Set the cutting in the soil in a small container
- Cover the container with plastic containing ventilation holes
- Allow the cuttings to take root and then remove the plastic
- Move the plant to a bright window sill and water regularly
- Cuttings should take root and begin growing a healthy succulent plant.
It’s also possible to propagate from seed.
Obtain the seeds from the flowers after the flowers begin to die. Cut the flowers and place on paper towel to dry. After drying, you should be able to remove the seeds and sow them in starter trays.
Peacockii Pests or Disease Problems
The echeveria peacockii is relatively disease free. It’s a hardy plant with limited issues to be concerned about.
Like most plants, it’s a good idea to look for signs of mealybugs, aphids, or vine weevils.
If these threats are detected, wipe them away with a cloth or spray them with water. For severe infestations, use an insecticide.
Tips On Controlling Diseases Succulent Echeverias
Uses For The Echeveria Peacock
In the dryer southwest, this plant is commonly used for cover in garden beds. In cool or humid climates, the Peacockii is best suited for indoor growth in a potted container near a bright window.