Graptopetalum pachyphyllum, a small blue succulent

Graptopetalum pachyphyllum

Graptopetalum pachyphyllim blue leavesCredit: Draemmli

Blue succulent Graptopetalum pachyphyllumCredit: Meise botanical collections

Graptopetalum pachyphyllum flowerCredit: Marco Virgilio

Wild Graptopetalum pachyphyllumCredit: Abrahambio

Exposures: Sun, Half-shade
Hardiness (USDA): 9b (-3.9°C ≤ T° < -1.1°C)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Foliage: Evergreen

Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Graptopetalum
Species: Graptopetalum pachyphyllum

Other names:Sedum atypicum, Echeveria minutifoliata

Nicknamed bluebean by English speakers because of its small, almost blue leaves, Graptopetalum pachyphyllum is a fat plant in the Crassulaceae family. Like graptopetalum amethystinum, it comes from Mexico.

How to recognize Graptopetalum pachyphyllum?

Graptopetalum pachyphyllum is a 20-centimetre-high succulent plant with a tapering habit.

Its branched stems measure up to 20 centimetres in length. Initially blue and erect, they become brown and drooping with age.

Each rosette has between 15 and 50 fleshy leaves. Blue, they have rigid, darker tips. The apex can be tinted purple or dark blue.

Flowering occurs in summer and spring. Graptopetalum pachyphyllum gives rise to a flowering spike with thick bracts. It supports star-shaped, five-petaled flowers. White, they are spotted or streaked with red.

Graptopetalum pachyphyllum is not toxic by contact or ingestion. You can grow it without risk, even if you live with young children or animals.

Our care tips

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

Misting

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

Repotting

In spring, transfer your Graptopetalum pachyphyllum 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 pachyphyllum 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

Give your plant a cactus and succulent fertilizer to support its growth.

Prune

Remove dried leaves.

Cut back flower stems when flowers have wilted. If you use a tool, make sure it's clean and sharp.

Planting

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