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Echeveria unguiculata
The plant likes a sunny location. The plant can be grown outdoors in summer.
Always water a few days after the substrate has dried out. Reduce watering in winter.
It can withstand temperatures as low as -3.9 °C for short periods. However, the plant is not frost-resistant.
The name comes from the Latin unguiculus, meaning a small claw or nail.
Echeveria unguiculata is a small species native to Mexico, where it naturally occurs in the states of Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí. The specific epithet unguiculata means “clawed” or “having nails”, referring to the characteristic leaf shape with distinct pointed tips.
The plant usually forms a single rosette of narrow, thick, fleshy leaves with a lanceolate shape. Younger leaves are often slightly curved upwards. The leaves can reach up to about 5.5 cm in length and around 1.5 cm in width. Their colour is purplish-grey with a thin whitish coating, and the tips are sharp, often red to almost black. The rosette grows up to approximately 10 cm in diameter and is supported by a short brownish stem about 5 cm tall.
Flowering occurs on unbranched, arching flower stalks that may grow up to around 50 cm long. The flowers have pale salmon-pink petals, providing a soft contrast to the muted tones of the foliage.
Echeveria unguiculata is a compact succulent well suited to bright conditions and a well-drained substrate. Due to its small size, it is ideal for limited growing spaces, and with proper care it maintains a regular growth habit and distinctive leaf tips.