If you’re looking for a waterwise container plant that will cope well in the summer heat, you can’t go wrong with any of the Echeveria species. These low maintenance succulent plants have a very striking appearance and are available in a wide range of hybrids. The plants produce flowers on short stalks, which grow from a central rosette of succulent leaves.

Most hybrids grow well in both full sun and light shade. Many Echeveria plants produce mini plants that can be separated from the parent plant in spring, hence the common name “hen and chickens”.

Here are a few attractive species that you can try growing in your garden:

• Echeveria agavoides forms a single rosette and a number of small plantlets around the base. It was smooth, green pointy leaves with red edges. It can be easily propagated from leaf cuttings and is fairly resistant to attacks from both snails and aphids.
• Echeveria peacockii produces bright red stems with attractive flowers. Each plant will produce about 20 flowers and it makes a very attractive groundcover plant.
• Echeveria elegans is an evergreen plant which produces a tight rosette of green-blue fleshy leaves. It produces pink stalks which reach about 25cm high, topped with attractive pink flowers with yellow tips. The plant flowers in winter and spring, providing welcome colour in the cooler months.