Cubic Frost Succulent

Cubic Frost Succulent (Echeveria hybrid 'Cubic Frost') is a low, pleated echeveria in lilac-pink with a silvery-green frosting. It stays small, around 10cm tall and up to 20cm wide, and builds a tight, symmetrical rosette with crisp, regular folds. It is a collector's plant that still asks very little of you.

Why you'll love it

• Geometric shape. The leaves pleat into a regular rosette, so it reads as a sculptural piece even in a small pot.
• Cool, frosted colour. Lilac-pink leaves with a silvery-green sheen sit well beside warm toned succulents and grey stone.
• Coral-peach bells. Happy, mature plants carry stems of bell-shaped coral pink and peach flowers.
• Compact and slow. At up to 20cm across it will not outgrow a bowl or a rockery pocket in a hurry.

Where it works best

Bowls and shallow pots. Plant 20cm apart in a wide, shallow bowl, or set a single rosette in a small glazed pot where its shape is the feature.

Rockeries. Use it at the front edge of a rockery where taller plants will not hide its low form. Choose a bright, well drained spot with some afternoon shade.

Indoors. Bright indirect light by a window keeps the rosette tight and the frosting clear. Echeverias are not regarded as toxic to pets, though it is still wise to keep any plant out of a chewer's reach.

Growing Cubic Frost Succulent in Australia

Position and climate. Bright light with indirect sun suits it best, with protection from hot afternoon sun, which scorches the leaves. Outdoors it does best in warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid regions, and in subtropical gardens if you can shelter it from wet weather. It is frost tender, so in cold-winter areas treat it as a pot plant for an indoor windowsill.

Soil. Use a fast draining gritty mix, with coarse sand or fine gravel worked through a cactus mix. A thin top-dressing of gravel keeps the lowest leaves off damp soil.

Water and feed. Wet the soil, not the leaves. Wait until the mix has dried through before watering again, which in warm weather is about every ten days to a fortnight for a pot. Skip winter feeding and give a light, half-strength dose once the weather warms in spring. Keep water off the frosted leaves.

Pruning. Nothing to cut. Peel away dead, dry leaves from the edge of the rosette, and lift off the pups that appear around larger plants to replant them.

What to expect when it arrives

Cubic Frost Succulent comes as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly once potted into gritty mix, and in 140mm pots in packs of 10 for a larger planting. The rosette will be small at first and fills out as it grows, so give it a season before judging its colour.

Succulents travel well because the leaves carry their own water. A lower leaf or two may loosen in transit, and laid on dry mix it will often root as a new plant. Unpack on arrival and stand the plant in bright shade for a few days. Because the tube comes from our grower, it is not always in stock. A sold out tube means the grower has none right now, and the notify button on this page will send you an email the day it returns.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• See all of our echeverias
• Plants that thrive in pots
• Our complete guide to succulents in Australia
• Indoor plant tips for beginners

Common questions

How big does Cubic Frost get?

Plants are listed at 5cm to 10cm tall and up to 20cm wide. It stays low and spreads gently as pups form around it.

Why is my rosette stretching?

A rosette rising on a longer stem means the light is too low. Move it somewhere brighter.

Will it flower?

Mature plants in good light send up flower stems of coral-peach bells. Young tube plants need time to reach that stage.