Need succulent help and ID

vtown05 · Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:07 pm

I bought this little succulent at CVS a little while back. You can tell it wasn't taken care of properly and it had poor lighting because it was stretching. Since I've had it home and given it some light you can see where it has new growth at the top where the leaves are much closer together. The lower leaves are starting to die off, actually the two lowest ones already shriveled up and fell off. My question is, should I cut the top off and replant in new soil? Will it root? This is my very first succulent and I don't know anything about it... including what kind of succulent it is.

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Green Mantis · Sat Jun 18, 2011 12:54 am

Don't know the name. although I should. I have a small one myself. Stores are terrible for not putting names on, or improper ones.

The top is really healthy looking, If it can be trimned and would grow, it looks like it would have a good chance. I just don't know if it can or should be done.??????

Hopefully Kisal will come on and help out????? Good Luck.

Gary350 · Sun Jun 19, 2011 4:49 pm

It is a type of Sedum.

FistulinaHepatica · Mon Jun 20, 2011 5:54 pm

It might be Crassula arborescens, but unless I can actually see it in person or at least see what flowers come up I can't be 100% sure.

The leaf arrangement and shape are crassula-ish and there's so many types of hybrids out there it could just be anything!

I call my mongrel pet plants *Triffids* if I can't be sure of it's species.

Green Mantis · Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:08 am

That's cute, "Triffids" guess I will start calling mine a "Triffid" too.

tinypixiexoxo · Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:15 pm

So I just learned about "stretching" from this post and Now I am worried that my Echeveria Dondo (Left) and Sedum Clavatum (pale blue, center) are stretching too..

I was wondering where they would go or what it would do...
I gave them the brightest light available without putting it outside (which is dangerous in windy Chicago)...

I think the Sedum Clavatum is supposed to grow out like that becauwse it is a sedum, but the Echeveria... I am highly worried about it!

[img]https://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx173/tinypixiexoxo/Summer11056.jpg[/img]

Kisal · Fri Jun 24, 2011 3:27 pm

I think that little plant might be an Echeveria, probably a Graptopetalum, or a hybrid of one. They are members of genus Crassulacae.

There is a Graptopetalum called Ghost Plant, that has that grayish coloring.

Green Mantis · Fri Jun 24, 2011 11:57 pm

When you are talking about "Stretching"--------What exactly do you mean??

That they are reaching "up" and not growing out? My mother of millions is doing that, I'm not sure what you do about it either?

Anybody more experienced with info out there, PLEASE?????

RosemarieRo · Sat Jan 14, 2012 9:29 pm

It is Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg'. Yes, needs more sun for more compact growth.

MsFriend · Tue Jul 10, 2012 12:46 am

My husband and I just had a similar situation-we successfully clipped the healthy top part of a similar succulent plant purchased at CVS, and the babies are doing great!

hmbell3 · Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:31 am

I have these. I don't know the proper name either. But, if you don't want to risk cutting the top off, you can just pull off a petal and push it in the dirt. That's what I do with mine when they break off. Water it and just leave it alone. These take off like crazy and get very tall. It will need alot of support because they're top-heavy. I lean mine into my tall cactus and use the needles to help hold it up. They seem happy together.

cynthia_h · Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:34 pm

The poor little guy in the first post needs to be repotted STAT. Use a well-draining potting mix that leans toward sandy but is not sand. There may be succulent mixes at the nurseries; I don't know. All of my jade plants are in native soil, and my sedums (seda?!) are in reg. potting soil.

This little guy is starved for root space, light, and who knows what else. Put him into maybe a 6-inch diameter pot that's not super deep, maybe something like 4 or 5 inches deep. If you need to decide between bigger vs. smaller, go towards smaller, but what he's in right now is way too small.

And sunlight, after hardening off (if he's been indoors).

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

CorinneL · Sat Oct 20, 2012 3:33 am

I need to repot my aloe as it is getting top heavy, but everything I read says I should do it in the spring. As my aloe is indoors, does it make a difference if I repot now in the fall?

Barkleythadog · Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:21 pm

It is defenetly perle of nurnberg. The most beautiful of echeveria.

Barkleythadog · Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:24 pm

Most succulent plants do a lot better in shallow pots so as the roots won't rot but some times I don't think it really matters

Barkleythadog · Sun Apr 20, 2014 9:41 pm

RosemarieRo wrote:It is Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg'. Yes, needs more sun for more compact growth.

Stretching refers to stretching towards the light source, with the most ultraviolet rays e.g the sun. The cells in the stem constrict as it does when it grows or called ettiliation.this will not hurt the succulent but when it commences new growth the ettiliated spot is permanent u will always be able to tell. This plant is good at cloning so study up on it and u can have numerous pearlys from just one parent plant. Hope this helps, Bark.