Cupid Succulent: An Introduction to the Echeveria Variety in the Crassulaceae Family

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Images: This Girl Is a Bit Sweet

Cupid is a succulent in the Crassulaceae family, genus Echeveria, a hybrid of Echeveria runyonii 'Topsy Turvy' and Echeveria 'Debbie'.

Morphological characteristics:

Cupid's leaves are oblanceolate to obovate, slightly thick and fleshy, covered with a powdery bloom, with a sharply pointed tip; both ends of the leaf curve slightly downward and are somewhat twisted. Cupid's leaves range from powdery white to pink-purple-red. Under different conditions, Cupid's leaf shape varies considerably: some are rather thin, almost flat, while others are thick, almost finger-like.

Growth habits:

Cupid is not difficult to care for. In spring, autumn and winter it can receive full sunlight, or be grown outdoors; it can be watered generously, and once the potting soil is about 70 to 80 percent dry it can be watered thoroughly. Avoid prolonged rain exposure and avoid watering directly onto the crown. With more sunlight in autumn and winter, Cupid's rosette will be more compact, its leaves thicker and fleshier, and its color more pink-purple. If light is insufficient, the leaves will be flatter and thinner, and the color will turn white-green. In summer, Cupid should be given appropriate shading, ventilation and water control.

Care methods:

Cupid is not suited to indoor growing; it is best grown outdoors or placed on a balcony, where ample light will keep it in good condition. Cupid's leaves are thick, fleshy and full of moisture, making it a very drought-tolerant succulent, but it has also inherited the traits of Echeveria runyonii 'Topsy Turvy', namely that it easily suffers root rot, especially in summer, where contact with water inevitably leads to rot. So when the weather is hot in summer, water as little as possible; you can wait until the leaves soften before watering, which reduces the occurrence of root rot. For soil, a gritty mix such as coarse sand is best, as it has good air permeability. Generally water in the evening, and at the same time pay attention to ventilation! Pay attention to ventilation! Pay attention to ventilation! Important things should be said three times!

Propagation methods:

Mainly by leaf cuttings. Select healthy leaves and let them dry for half a month; when the growth point shows signs of turning red, it means roots and shoots are about to emerge. You can then sort out the ones with better growth points, and this is the best time to plant them, which ensures uniformity in the germination rate. Cupid leaves sprout in about a month. After sprouting, mist the surface with a spray bottle every day; be careful not to water thoroughly, because at this stage the roots are not yet well developed and are unlikely to take up nutrients, so growth still depends on the nutrients supplied by the leaf itself. This is mainly to prevent the leaf from shriveling. If leaf cuttings are done in summer, it is best to mix some fungicide into the water to avoid root rot and seedling death caused by dampness. Once they reach about 3cm, they can be potted up.

Differences between Snow Elf and Cupid

There is a clear difference between Cupid's leaf shape and Snow Elf's. Cupid's leaves are more slender, long-obovate, with the width gradually increasing from the middle to the tip of the leaf; Snow Elf's leaves are shovel-shaped, with the width at the tip far greater than the width at the middle. In terms of color, Cupid more readily turns purple-red.

Snow Elf

Cupid

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