Echeveria Purpusorum of the Crassulaceae family is a unique Echeveria plant that can spice your house or office space. It can also beautify your garden, and this plant will attract every individual that sets an eye on your garden.
For you to enjoy the uniqueness of this eye-catching plant, this article will provide you with all the information required for you to take good care of this echeveria genus plant.
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What Is an Echeveria Purpusorum?
Echeveria Purpusorum is a small, slow-growing plant with spoon-shaped leaves with sharp edges and pointy tips. It grows to three inches in diameter when it reaches maturity. The leaves of the plant grow outwardly in all directions forming a rosette-shaped succulent.
Echeveria Purpusorum Care
Like other Echeveria plants, caring for the Purpusorum plant is an exciting journey as it takes less of your time. You are unlikely to have problems if you provide your plant with enough water for healthy growth.
Water
WaterEcheveria Purpusorum plant requires less watering like any other succulent. This gives you enough time to concentrate on other tasks while enjoying the beautifying effects of your plant in your garden or living room.
The crucial thing is to provide enough water when watering, not too much or little. If your Echeveria Purpusorum lacks water, its leaves become withered and thin. Waterlogging the plant can also result in yellow base leaves and rotten, black roots that produce an unbearable odor.
Soil Moisture
You need to check the soil moisture as you are recommended to water the Purpusorum when the soil has dried enough. Once or twice per week is good when the plant is at its blooming stage or fortnightly, depending on how fast the soil has dried up.
During winter seasons, you can water your Echeveria Purpusorum once a month as the soil will be retaining the moisture for longer periods.
Light
LightThe Echeveria Purpusorum thrives best in full or partial sun. If you place it indoors, make sure you put it close to the west-, south-or east-facing window so that it gets enough sunlight for a maximum of four to six hours.
Please note that the plant needs to be rotated so that all sides will uniformly get enough sunlight. The full light can be dangerous to Echeveria Purpusorum in very hot climates and those with little or no light.
Indoor Light Requirements
You can supplement the light by purchasing a grow light if available natural light is too low for your Echeveria Purpusorum. Your plant should be indoors for you to use artificial light. The grow light should not be too close to the plant so that the heat will not burn your Echeveria.
You can also grow your plant in a container so that you can move it freely outside when it’s sunny and inside when the temperatures drop. Shortage of sunlight can result in the plant being a thin, tall one as it will be striving to reach for the light. Echeveria Purpusorum leaves lose color and become sparsely packed around a thin, long stem.
Soil
SoilHaving the same characteristics as other succulents, the Echeveria Purpusorum plant grows well on well-draining soils that are rocky-like, especially those with a loose structure.
If your place does not have this type of soil, you should create your own by mixing sand, gravel, pumice, and perlite. Avoid soils that retain water like clay, as excess water in the soil will result in root rot.
Avoiding Root Rot
Root rot on your Purpusorum plant can be avoided by those well-draining soils that do not retain water for long and allow free air circulation around the roots. If you place it in pots, make sure your pot drains excess water properly.
If not, drill a hole that can allow the draining process. When the Echeveria Purpusorum is grown in the garden, the beds should be raised so that they can drain water easily, leaving the plant with the recommended amount of moisture.
Temperature
TemperatureEcheveria Purpusorum, like other succulents, is easily affected by cold temperatures, especially those that reach freezing points. If you live in such cold climates, it’s best to grow your plant indoors as the risk of experiencing very low temperatures inside the house is limited.
Summer Season
The temperature requirements for Echeveria Purpusorum in summer range between 60 F to 70 F. Therefore, we recommend you provide it with these temperatures when it is indoors with the help of the fluorescent light if the natural temperature in the room does not meet the required ones.
Winter Season
During winter, Purpusorum plants grow well in cool temperatures of 50 F. Extra care is mandatory in terms of temperatures to protect it from harsh conditions as its growth is easily affected by very low and high temperatures.
The Echeveria Purpusorum is not resistant to high temperatures, so we recommend placing it under partial shade when it is very hot to avoid damaging the leaves. Once the plant is sunburned, it cannot be restored, but you can only trim the damaged leaves or start maintaining the plant properly until new leaves develop.
You should also be cautious of too much heat as it can dry your Echeveria Purpusorum permanently.
Fertilizer
FertilizerAn Echeveria Purpusorum plant originates from areas with low fertile soils to grow well without fertilizers. But, if you notice nutrient deficiency in the plant, you can consider adding the fertilizer for it to grow well and bloom, thereby enhancing the beauty of your home.
You can also add a nutrient solution of 20/20/20 or below flower-plant fertilizer during the summer when the temperatures are favorable. The soil will be warm as there will be adequate sunlight.
Tips for Applying Fertilizer
You can use the manual on your package to know the quantities to apply to your plant in relation to its size as young ones require less nitrogen. Add little or no fertilizer during the winter season.
We urge you to add your fertilizer once a month to avoid killing the plant. Too much fertilizer can burn the plant permanently.
Pruning
PruningEven if you are a beginner in plant care, you will enjoy growing Echeveria Purpusorum plants as they demand little pruning. You can only prune old leaves to reduce their height by cutting the tops, giving it room to develop other leaves until it becomes a full-grown plant. We also recommend that you remove wilted flowers as a way of stimulating your plant to grow new ones.
– Repotting
Echeveria Purpusorum can be repotted when necessary, preferably in warm seasons. You should check if the soil is dry enough to be knocked away from the roots after gently removing the plant from the pot. You should also look out for dead and rotten roots and remove them before placing your Echeveria in a new pot.
Fill the new pot with a new potting mix and put your plant carefully, spreading the roots properly. Leave the plant to dry for seven days or more. After a week, you can start to water your Echeveria Purpusorum plant lightly to protect it from root rot.
Propagation
Propagating an Echeveria Purpusorum plant is an exciting process because of its easy care. There are many ways to propagate Echeveria Purpusorum, like cuttings, offsets, and seeds.
– Using Offsets
This is the most commonly used method of propagating Echeveria Purpusorum, mainly because the success rate is high and it is the fastest and easiest way to grow your Purpusorum plant. If the Purpusorum is properly maintained, it will produce offsets around its base.
Offsets or pups are those tiny plants that develop around the older plant. You then remove those tiny plants carefully by cutting them as close to their mother plant as possible so that you will not damage the pups’ roots with a shear, your fingers, or a sharp knife.
After removing your pups, you can immediately plant them in the soil or the pot and start treating them the way you did to the mother plant.
– Using Seeds
Echeveria Purpusorum seeds can also be used as they are readily available on the market, but it will cost you time and patience before you get the results. This propagation method also requires more attention as the seeds need to be kept moist for germination to take place.
After germination, the seedlings need to be watered frequently to keep the soil moist than a mature Purpusorum until they are old enough to be treated as older ones.
– Using Cuttings
Cuttings are another propagating strategy, but they are also time-consuming as they need time to callous once you cut the stem or leaf before dry planting into the soil. You should wait until the cuttings have roots before starting the normal watering routine. You can also put the cuttings in the water and transplant them into the soil once they have developed some roots.
Problems
The Echeveria Purpusorum plant requires extra care to avoid being attacked by pests and diseases. This chapter will discuss why you must inspect your Purpusorum frequently and closely and how you can solve the problems.
– Pests
Echeveria Purpusorum plant is rarely affected by pests and diseases if properly taken care of. However, the mealybugs, ants, scales, and fungus gnats are the ones that commonly attack the succulent.
Mealybugs mostly affect the leaves and stems of Echeveria Purpusorum plants as they feed on their juices by piercing them using their needle-like mouth. They will then excrete honeydew which is also food to the ants. So, when you see ants, it can be a sign that there are mealybugs on your plants, and they are usually on the underside of the stems and leaves.
The leaves of the Echeveria Purpusorum will then wilt and turn yellow, and the plant will die if the mealybug is not controlled completely and with immediate effect.
Intervention
Like mealybugs, scales are also sucking pests that attack the leaves and stems of the plant also. Once you notice these pests on your Echeveria plant, isolate your beauty, and treat it accordingly to avoid spreading the pests to other healthy plants.
You can also use Neem oil to control the mealybugs and scales on your Purpusorum plant. A70 percent or less solution of isopropyl alcohol by dabbing on the pests directly to kill them.
– Fungus Gnats
Interestingly, adult fungus gnats are not harmful. Instead, the larvae are deadly as they damage the plant roots, thus promoting stunted growth of your Echeveria Purpusorum plant.
So, to avoid the fungus gnats, grow your succulent on well-draining soil, and stagger your watering to prevent waterlogging. You should also avoid putting the organic matter in your pot or soil where you planted the Echeveria Purpusorum.
Features of the Echeveria Purpusorum
– Origin
Echeveria Purpusorum plants are originally from Oaxaca and Puebla, Mexico.
– Growth Stages
Interestingly, this Echeveria Purpusorum plant has a rest period and an active one. In summer and spring, that’s when it will be growing. It becomes dormant during the winter and autumn.
You need to be very careful when the seasons change, especially from summer to winter. Do not provide too much water as it may result in fungal problems that will cause the rotting of dead leaves, and if not taken care of immediately, this will spread throughout the whole plant. The Purpusorum plant might die due to the fungal infection.
– Leaves
Echeveria Purpusorum is a rare species, but its reptilian look makes gardeners want to have it in their homes. Each leaf is 1.5 inches long and one inch wide. This explains how small the plant is and makes it possible to be grown indoors. You can also grow this houseplant outside if the climatic conditions are favorable.
The leaves of the Echeveria Purpusorum plants differ in shades as it is determined by the amount of sunlight they are receiving. Some are light green, and others are olive green. The leaves also have reddish-brown spots that enhance the gorgeous appearance of the plant.
– Flower
When the Echeveria Purpusorum reaches maturity, it produces 12-inch-long central stems that have red flowers at the top, with yellow tips.
FAQ
How do you keep Echeveria Purpusorum happy?
Echeveria Purpusorum thrives in well-draining soil, ample sunlight, and moderate watering. Avoid overwatering and provide proper ventilation for optimal happiness.
How often do you feed Echeveria Purpusorum?
Feed Echeveria Purpusorum with a balanced fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during the growing season, ensuring not to exceed the recommended dosage for healthy growth.
Can Echeveria Purpusorum grow without soil?
Echeveria Purpusorum can be grown without soil using well-draining mediums like perlite or pumice. Ensure proper watering and light conditions for successful growth.
Conclusion
You now have all the care tips that you need for parenting the Echeveria Purpusorum plant. Begin your exciting journey today using the knowledge you acquired from this article.
Below is just a summary of the main points that should be at your fingertips:
- The Echeveria Purpusorum plant grows well in a sunny climate, but extreme light conditions and very low temperatures can destroy it.
- Check the type of soil on which you want to grow your Echeveria Purpusorum to see if it’s well-draining.
- Avoid watering too much and frequently to avoid root rot and fungi.
- We urge you to propagate the Echeveria Purpusorum using the offsets as it is the quickest way of having your new plants.
- You should also do frequent checks for mealybugs, fungus gnats, and scales to keep your plant healthy.
It’s now time to experiment with what you learned from this article by starting to care for your own Echeveria Purpusorum. Get your pups today and enjoy the journey!
