Graptopetalum amethystinum pink succulent plant

Credit: Armando O. M. del Campo

Graptopetalum amethystinum in pot

Credit: El cajon yacht club

Graptopetalum amethystinum in flower

Credit: Bourdoux et Jacques

Red-white flower Graptopetalum amethystinum

Credit: Stan Shebs

Graptopetalum amethystinum with flowers

Credit: El cajon yacht club

Graptopetalum amethystinum, a pink succulent plant

It's not hot and dry enough at home for your Graptopetalum paraguayense to turn pink? Adopt a Graptopetalum amethystinum. This plant of the Crassulaceae family, native to Mexico, keeps its pale pink foliage almost all year round.

How to recognize Graptopetalum amethystinum?

A succulent perennial, Graptopetalum amethystinum grows to no more than 20 centimetres in height.

The creeping stem is slender and rigid. It can reach 30 centimetres in length and produce shoots and branches.

The obovate leaves with rounded tips form a rosette ten centimeters in diameter. Pink or pale violet, they are covered with a bloom that gives them a waxy appearance.

The plant blooms in spring or summer. The star-shaped flowers bloom on a branching stem some twenty centimetres long. They are white, with red, tapering tips and curved stamens.

Graptopetalum amethystinum is non-toxic. Although its leaves and flowers are inedible, they present no danger if ingested. You can also handle the plant without protection. It does not cause irritation on contact with the skin.

Our maintenance tips

Graptopetalum amethystinum can be planted outdoors in regions with mild, dry winters.

Spray

Graptopetalum amethystinum grow in arid regions and do not like humidity. No need to spray them.

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Graptopetalum amethystinum to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.

Obtain a pierced pot one size larger than the previous one.

Fill the bottom with a very light, draining substrate such as commercially available potting soil for cacti and succulents. Plant your Graptopetalum amethystinum in the center and add potting soil. Stop a few centimetres below the rim of the pot to form a watering trough.

Tamp down and wait three or four days for the soil to dry before watering.

Fertilization

You don't have to fertilize your plant to make it grow. However, if you want to stimulate its growth, you can give itfertilizer for cacti and succulents.

Prune

Carefully remove dead leaves when they appear.

Cut flower stems short at the end of the season.

Plantation

Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball. Plant your Graptopetalum amethystinum, taking care not to bury the leaves. Fill in with garden soil.

Cutting

Locate a healthy leaf on the outside of the plant. Cut it off at the base with a clean, sharp tool.

Leave it to dry for two days, until a growth forms at the tip.

Fill a perforated pot with potting soil for cacti and succulents. Place your leaf horizontally on the substrate, without burying it.

Place your cutting in a bright, dry, frost-free spot.

Moisten the soil by spraying it with water. But be careful! Too much water may cause your Graptopetalum amethystinum to rot.

Disease / Threat

Aphids

Information

Family	Crassulaceae - Crassulaceae
Type	Graptopetalum - Graptopetalum
Species	Graptopetalum amethystinum - Graptopetalum amethystinum
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade
Substrats	Calcareous earth Sandy soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots In tubs Planter
Category	Succulent
Tags	Beginner Flowery
Origin	North America
Hardiness (USDA)	9b
Leaf color
Flower colors