Graptoveria Debbi

Echeveria ‘Debbie’, or more accurately ×Graptoveria ‘Debbi’, is a hybrid of Graptopetalum and Echeveria, highly sought after for its well-defined and beautifully coloured purple and powdery rosettes. It will grace a well-lit shelf, a bowl, or the centre of a succulent display. In the warmer months, sheltered from rain, it can enjoy a spell on the balcony or patio.

×Graptoveria ‘Debbi’ belongs to the Crassulaceae family. It is a hybrid that appeared at Abbey Garden (Reseda, Los Angeles, California) and was described in 1978; it was named in honour of Debbi Foster. Its parents are Graptopetalum amethystinum and an Echeveria. In the wild, Echeveria and many Graptopetalum mainly come from dry, rocky areas of North and Central America, particularly Mexico: this origin explains their preference for light and very free-draining substrates.
‘Debbi’ first forms a rosette 12 to 20 cm in diameter, then wider clumps via offsets. The thick and slightly pointed leaves retain a powdery coating that is best preserved; their colour ranges from lilac-grey to pink-mauve depending on the season and light levels. Flowering occurs in spring, taking the form of arching stems bearing small bell-shaped flowers in apricot tones.
Echeveria are known to be non-toxic to cats and dogs; as a precaution, repeated nibbling should still be avoided.

Indoors, give ×Graptoveria ‘Debbi’ very bright light (direct morning sun is well tolerated), a rather dry atmosphere, and a temperature range between 15 and 25 °C. It perishes below -1°C. Its cultivation is not difficult, but it does not tolerate overwatering or lack of light. This succulent thrives particularly well near a window, in a conservatory, or greenhouse.

To showcase it, choose a shallow terracotta pot and a fine pumice mulch, and leave space around the rosette. It pairs well with a Kalanchoe thyrsiflora 'Bronze Sculpture', an Opuntia microdasys 'Caress', an Aeonium arboreum 'Kilimandjaro' which adds height and colour (closest to the light), and a trailing Senecio herreianus.

Echeveria can be grown both indoors and outdoors, provided it is given plenty of light and a very free-draining soil.
Indoors, it likes to be placed in full sun behind a well-exposed window, with temperatures between 18 and 24 °C, and moderate watering, only when the compost is completely dry.
It can be moved outside once temperatures exceed 10 °C, in full sun and sheltered from rain, but must be brought back indoors in autumn before the first frosts.