Echeveria tolimanensis

Echeveria tolimanensis is a succulent subshrub from central Mexico. Its native range includes the states of Querétaro and Hidalgo. It belongs to Crassulaceae, the family that includes many succulent plants. Kew places it in desert or dry shrubland habitat. The RHS lists it as rare in cultivation. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Its main features are close-set rosettes and thick, coloured leaves. The spring flowers add pink and yellow to the plant.

The RHS gives a garden height of 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. This is a small plant with a compact form. Its large leaves sit close together in tight rosettes. They point upwards rather than forming a flat circle. Each leaf is fleshy and has a powdery surface. The base colour blends blue, grey and green. Pink to pale purple can tint the leaves as well. These shades vary with the amount of light the plant receives. The foliage therefore does not have one fixed colour. Its upward growth also gives the rosettes a distinct shape.

The leaf tips become more pointed as the leaves mature. The RHS describes these tips as striking and fierce-looking. They contrast with the broad, fleshy parts of each leaf. Both the powdery surface and the tinted foliage help distinguish its appearance. The leaves provide much of the plant's visual interest. In spring, it also bears flowers shaped like small bells. Their colours include pink and yellow. The supplied account does not describe the fruit or seeds. It also gives no details about bark or stem colour.

The evidence establishes a dry native habitat, but gives little cultivation guidance. It does not state a watering schedule or suitable soil mix. Nor does it give a hardiness rating or minimum temperature. The link between light and leaf colour is clear. It does not, however, establish a preferred garden exposure. The listed height helps indicate the scale of a mature plant. No mature spread or time to maturity is supplied. The sources also give no species-level information on pests or diseases. They do not establish whether any parts are edible. Human and pet safety remain unconfirmed by this evidence.