Echeveria is a large genus of succulents in the Crassulaceae family, native from Mexico to north-western South America. The genus is named after the 18th century Mexican botanical artist, Atanasio Echeverría. Many of the species produce numerous offsets, and are commonly known as ‘Hen and Chicks’, which can also refer to other genera such as Sempervivum that are significantly different from Echeveria. They are also often confused with genera such as Aeonium, Graptopetalum and Sedum. Echeveria is regularly crossed with the latter two genera as well as Pachyphytum to create hybrids with the genus names Pachyveria, Sedeveria and Graptoveria. Many Echeveria species are popular as garden plants. They are drought-resistant, although they do better with regular deep watering and fertilizing. Most will tolerate shade and some frost, although hybrid species tend to be less tolerant. Echeverias are especially well suited to being grown in pots and rockeries which adds to their ease of cultivation.

Echeveria agavoides is a beautiful fast growing plant native to rocky areas of Mexico, notably the states of San Luis Potosi, Hidalgo, Guanajuato and Durango. The species name agavoides means looking like an Agave. It is a stemless plant, 812 cm in height, with a rosette of fleshy apple green leaves 715 cm in diameter. It is often solitary, but older plants that are in a good condition will grow offsets. The leaves are triangular, thicker (6 mm) and more acute than the other echeverias – hence the explanation of their name agavoides, “looking like an agave”. The inflorescences in summer appear on slender, single-sided cymes up to 50 cm long. The flowers are pink, orange or red, the petals tipped with dark yellow. It is hardy to about -7°C.