The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata) is an easy-to-grow perennial succulent from Oaxaca, Mexico, and in the southern and central parts of America. It is more commonly known as the Plush Plant or Chenille Plant because of its fuzzy appearance.
The Chenille Plant, it’s so easy to grow. First, get the soil, light, temperature, water, and fertilizer requirements correct. Second, know how to propagate from leaf, stem cuttings, or seeds. Then third, know how to re-pot, ward off pests, and prune. Exactly what you’d do for any other plant. This plant, however needs less of everything.
How to Grow The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata)
The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata) makes a good indoor plant – in lower hardiness zones – and place lt on a bright sunny windowsill.
• Soil Requirements
The Chenille Plant plant grows well slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6.0 and well-draining, and porous soil to prevent overwatering.
You can also use a commercial succulent or cactus mix or opt to make your own by combining potting soil and coarse sand (2:1) or potting soil, sand, and perlite (1:1:1).
The soil should be clean and fresh. You also make a potting soil mix by combining one part moss, one part loam, and two parts sand.
• Light Conditions
The Chenille Plants are hardy succulents so that love to have a lot of direct sunlight or full sun. They are winter hardy and grow well in USDA hardiness zones 9b-11b.
If grown in lower hardiness zones, they are tender succulents that will do well indoors on a bright sunny windowsill.
The Chenille Plants need at least six hours of full to partial sunlight per day. It would be best, however, to avoid the summer afternoon full sun and sudden sunlight changes.
• Temperature Requirements
The Chenille Plants grow best in USDA hardiness zones with temperatures of 250F to 500F.
• Water Requirements
Your Chenille Plant plants are drought-tolerant, thus they require less but deep watering. Water only when the soil has turned dry. When watering, make sure the water does not sit in the leaves or rosettes to avoid fungal disease which can cause your Chenille Plant to rot.
• Fertilizer Requirements
The Chenille Plants require only moderate fertilizing. Fertilize this succulent with standard cactus mix during the growing season in the spring and summer.
Feed this succulent thinly with a balanced fertilizer in the early spring. Stop feeding you The Chenille Plant plant when winter starts to set in. Strictly follow the instructions in the fertilizer package.
• Propagating Echeveria Pulvinata
You can propagate your Chenille Plant plant through leaf and stem cuttings. You can also opt to plant seeds of this succulent.
• Leaf Cuttings
Cut a healthy leaf and allow it to dry for a few hours. The leaf you cut should have some stem attached to it so it is easier for roots to grow.
Place fresh succulent potting mix or moistened soil in a tray and add the healthy leaf cuttings. The top of the root ball should be exposed from the surface of the soil.
Place the tray in a sunny spot and water the plant at least two times a week. The new plant will grow and after about two months, you can transplant your new Chenille Plant to grow in its new environment.
• Stem Cuttings
Take a stem cutting of The Chenille Plant. Cut an inch on one side of the stem to create two straight lines making it appear like a cross shape.
Place some soil in a container or pot. Place some wet sphagnum moss at the bottom of the soil to prevent rot.
Place the stem cutting in the soil, about one inch below soil level. . Make sure the cut side faces down. Make sure you do not bury the leaves.
Water the plant to provide it with sufficient moisture to allow root growth. Place the pot in its original environment once roots start to grow- a sunny window or outdoors. Water your new plant regularly.
• Seeds
The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata) is a slow-grower. Although propagating by seeds is not recommended, this is how to do it.
Place soil good for about 50 seeds in a pot with drainage holes in the bottom. Place seeds on top of the soil. Make sure they are about one-fourth away from all sides of the pot. Cover the seeds with soil.
It will take about two for the seeds to sprout. Start watering regularly to allow roots to quickly grow. Touch the soil. When it feels dry, water the plant.
Avoid overwatering your Chenille Plant plant as this will make the roots rot especially if there is not sufficient drainage in the pot for excess water vapor or moisture.
How to Re-pot The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata)
The Chenille Plants want to be re-potted regularly so they can grow better. Re-potting can be done at the beginning of each flowering season (Spring) or before the weather becomes cold.
You need to re-pot this plant when you notice the soil completely drying out or when the plant has outgrown its pot. When you re-pot, make sure to use a bigger pot than the previous one.
How to Maintain The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata)
Echeveria pulvinata plants do not need much care but they will bloom happy and healthy if you give them some attention.
• Pruning
This is a self-pruning succulent so you will save a lot of time in making it look pretty. At the least, you may just have to remove any dead leaves from the base of the plant or blossoms because they may rot and cause fungal disease.
Dead leaves can also be hiding places for pests.
• Pests and Diseases
Similar to most succulents, the Echeveria Pulvinata is not prone to a lot of pests and diseases as long as you care for it well. Do not overwater your plant.
Make sure it is planted in well-draining soil, with sufficient sunlight and warm temperatures.
These will make your Chenille Plant plant hardy and healthy, otherwise, your plant may be attacked by fungus gnats, scale, spider mites, and mealybugs.
Origin and Common Names
Plants within the Genus Echeveria are evergreens and deciduous. They grow seeds and flowers a lot of times in their lifetime.
This small and attractive plant comes with orange-red flowers that appear in late winter and through the spring.
The one-foot flower starts to appear first then comes the bell-shaped flowers. Echeveria flowers, when planted outdoors, are attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators.
The Echeveria Pulvinata succulent grows green leaves in small rosettes on long stems. The green leaves are thickly covered with white hairs for protection from the rays of the sun.
This succulent can grow to be small and cute for an indoor pot to being an expansive plant that can grow to be 12 inches tall.
The Echeveria Pulvinata has many common names including:
• The Chenille Plant
• Plush plant
• Chenille plant
• Ruby slippers
• Eve the echevria
• The Chenille Plant
• Ruby Bush
A certain cultivar of the Echeveria Pulvinata is called Frosty!
The Chenille Plant plants are lovely indoor potted plants. They will also look pretty on your patio or porch. They can also be nice groundcovers. It is best to plant The Chenille Plants in unglazed or terra-cotta pots with drainage holes.
Final Thoughts
The Chenille Plant (Echeveria Pulvinata )‘is a beautiful succulent. It is easy to care for.
They look gorgeous indoors or outdoors because they are not fussy about their environment.
The Chenille Plant is one of the most-loved succulents because it adds beauty to your home and garden, more importantly, it is easy to grow and care for.
Everyone gets attracted to this succulent because of its green leaves with edges in beautiful pinkish-red color.
All it takes is a little patience and time and The Chenille Plant will thrive in your home. If you are growing the Chenille Plant indoors, they are safe and non-toxic for kids and pets.
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
