Painted lady (Echeveria derenbergii)

Description

Echeveria derenbergii, the painted-lady, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, endemic to Mexico. Echeveria derenbergii is an evergreen perennial succulent, growing to 10 cm (4 in), with a dense basal rosette of pagoda-shaped, frosted, bristle-tipped, fleshy leaves. It bears racemes of bell-shaped yellow flowers with "painted" red tips in winter. Echeveria derenbergii is cultivated as an ornamental plant for rock gardens and as a potted plant. Like other Echeverias, it rapidly produces a colony of small offsets which can be separated from the parent plant. In cooler temperate regions, it requires winter protection, as it does not tolerate temperatures below −7 °C (19 °F); but it may be placed outside in a sheltered spot during summer months. Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the Crassulaceae family, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. Plants may be evergreen or deciduous. Flowers on short stalks (cymes) arise from compact rosettes of succulent fleshy, often brightly coloured leaves. Species are polycarpic, meaning that they may flower and set seed many times over the course of their lifetimes. Often numerous offsets are produced, and are commonly known as "hen and chicks", which can also refer to other genera, such as Sempervivum, that are significantly different from Echeveria. Many species of Echeveria serve important environmental roles, such as those of host plants for butterflies. For example, the butterfly Callophrys xami uses several species of Echeveria, such as Echevelia gibbiflora, for suitable host plants. Even more, these plants are integral to the oviposition process of C. xami and some other butterfly species as well. The genus is named after the 18th century Mexican botanical artist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy. Many Echeveria species are popular as ornamental garden plants. They are drought-resistant, although they do better with regular deep watering and fertilizing. Most will tolerate shade and some frost, although hybrids tend to be less tolerant. Most lose their lower leaves in winter; as a result, after a few years, the plants lose their compact appearance and need to be re-rooted or propagated. In addition, if not removed, the shed leaves may decay, harboring fungus that can then infect the plant.