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Mexican snow ball

How to identify Mexican snow ball (Echeveria elegans)

Mexican snow ball, also known as Mexican gem

Mexican snow ball features a dense, neatly structured rosette of smooth, silver-gray leaves, which can spread to create a mound or groundcover approximately 8 inches (20 cm) tall and 12 inches (30.5 cm) wide. It produces delicate stems bearing pink flowers with a slight yellow hue. These blooms typically appear from late winter to summer. The succulent nature of its foliage allows it to withstand periods of drought, though it thrives with occasional watering in well-draining conditions.

Lifespan

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type

Plant Type: Succulent, Herb

Leaf Type

Leaf Type: Evergreen

Quickly Identify Mexican snow ball

1

Rosette of silver-gray leaves forms compact groundcover, 8 inches (20 cm) tall, 12 inches (30.5 cm) wide.

2

Pink tubular flowers with yellow tips bloom multiple times from late winter to summer.

3

Dry, dehiscent capsules with minuscule seeds blend in rosette, less than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) long.

4

Smooth, waxy pale green-blue leaves lack prominent veins, ideal for identification, 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) long.

5

Short, thick stems with grayish-green color and fleshy texture store water for drought resistance, 3 inches (7.5 cm) long.

Mexican snow ballMexican snow ballMexican snow ballMexican snow ballMexican snow ball

Detailed Traits of Mexican snow ball

Leaf Features

The leaves of mexican snow ball are characterized by tight rosettes of fleshy, pale green-blue or silvery-green foliage. Each leaf generally measures up to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) in length and about 0.8 inches (2 cm) in width. The leaves exhibit a smooth, waxy texture that aids in water retention and often have a slight inward curve. These succulent leaves lack prominent veins, enhancing their distinctive, almost jewel-like appearance that is ideal for identification.

Leaf Shape

Obovate ,
Spatulate

Mexican snow ball Leaf Shape image
Leaf Type

Simple

Leaf Arrangement

Rosulate

Leaf Apex

Acuminate

Leaf Margin

Entire

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Flower Features

The flowers of mexican snow ball are displayed on long, slender stalks, each bearing 5-7 pink tubular flowers with distinctive yellow tips. These blooms typically appear in winter and spring, measuring around 0.6-0.8 inches (1.5-2 cm) in length. The petal arrangement forms a tubular shape, contributing to the plant's decorative appeal. The flowers of mexican snow ball are noted for blooming multiple times throughout the plant's life, offering repeated bursts of color during its active growing seasons.

Mexican snow ball Flower image
Corolla Type

Tubular

Inflorescence Type

Raceme

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Stem Features

The stem of mexican snow ball is characterized by its grayish-green color and fleshy texture, reflective of its succulent nature. Generally, the stems are short and thick, typically measuring up to 3 inches (7.5 cm) in length. They grow in a compact, rosette formation with minimal branching. The surface of the stems is smooth, occasionally covered by a waxy cuticle that aids in moisture retention. Distinctive to mexican snow ball, these stems are adapted for water storage, contributing to the plant's drought resistance.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of mexican snow ball manifests as inconspicuous capsules after the blooming period. These capsules are dry, dehiscent, and contain multiple minuscule seeds. Typically, they possess a papery texture, enhancing their camouflaged appearance amidst the plant's rosette. The capsules are usually shorter than 0.5 inches (1.27 cm) in length, adopting a triangular to oval shape. Their coloration is often aligned with the faded hues of the plant's foliage, ranging from a muted green to a tawny brown as they mature.

Fruit Type

Capsule

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Mexican snow ball and Their Similar Plants

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Lipstick echeveria vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
Lipstick echeveria (Echeveria agavoides) is a flowering plant species native to rocky environments in Mexico. The latin name for lipstick echeveria, Echeveria agavoides means "resembling agave." This species is cultivated as an ornamental species and grows best in low-moisture, mineral-rich soils and direct sunshine.
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Blue echeveria vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
The blue echeveria is a small succulent with a blue tint to its leaves. It is popular as a low-maintenance windowsill plant. The blue echeveria is naive to South and Central America where it and related species are critical to the life cycles of many butterflies.
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Pulido's echeveria vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
The leaf margin of pulido's echeveria is red and can become redder under sufficient light. In the summer, the plant grows so fast that the leaves spread out, becoming loose as a result. In the fall it quickly returns to its usual gorgeous state.
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Mexican hen and chicks vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
This perennial succulent is grown both indoors and out in sunny, dry soils or rock gardens. Pink-and-yellow flowers grow on stalks in the summer. The highly-unusual shape of its leaves is the result of careful selective cultivation that essentially turned the leaves upside-down.
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Ghost echeveria vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
Ghost echeveria is so much like Echeveria lilacina that the two varieties are often confused. The leaves of ghost echeveria are grayish-green to grayish-blue, with the tips turned slightly outward and the margins appearing translucent. When the plant changes color, the leaves turn light purple while the leaf margins turn pale pink.
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Black prince vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
A variant of Echeveria named for its distinctive coloring, black prince displays stunning black leaves in all but the center of the plant, which remains green. This unusual coloring makes it a very desirable strain among succulent enthusiasts.
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Cat's Claw vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
One of the smaller species in the Echeveria genus, the cat's Claw forms small, short rosettes up to 10 cm across. They are easy to care for outdoors or as houseplants, and one of the few succulents that bloom in spring. Those springtime flowers appear on tall stems that leave the parent rosette far below.
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Mexican hens vs. Mexican snow ball: What's The Difference?
Mexican hens is a succulent native to Mexico. It is known for its eye-catching appearance. It forms grayish-green, waxy rosettes that look like flowers. This Echeveria shaviana prefers well-draining soil and full sun. It displays a pink tinge on the outer corners when sunlight hits it.
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Key Facts About Mexican snow ball

Attributes of Mexican snow ball
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Succulent, Herb
Plant Height
5 cm to 10 cm
Spread
50 cm
Leaf Color
Green
Silver
Gray
Blue
Leaf type
Evergreen
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Scientific Classification of Mexican snow ball

Family
Stonecrop
Icon allow
Species
Mexican snow ball (Echeveria elegans)
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Distribution Map of Mexican snow ball

[Echeveria elegans] is native to the semi-desert regions of the North American continent. It has been introduced and is cultivated in various temperate areas, thriving in gardens and collections outside its endemic range. Mexican snow ball is notable for its resilience and ability to adapt to diverse environments beyond its original habitat.
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
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