Dondo Succulent

Dondo Succulent (Echeveria hybrid 'Dondo') is a small, low echeveria with plain green rosettes that light up with hot orange-yellow flowers. It grows about 15cm tall and 30cm wide, tidy enough for a deck pot and tough enough for a rockery. Once established it should also come through a light frost.

Why you'll love it

• Green foliage, bright flowers. The calm green rosettes make a clean backdrop for the orange-yellow blooms on happy plants.
• Handles a light frost. Once established it should come through a light frost, which gives it more options in cooler gardens.
• Low and wide. A 30cm spread builds a flat, dense cluster of rosettes that suits the front of a bed.
• Simple to look after. It needs bright light, gritty soil and occasional water, and little else.

Where it works best

Deck and balcony pots. It is compact enough to live in a wide, shallow pot on a deck or balcony. In a bed plant 30cm apart, or tuck two or three into one large bowl.

Rockeries. The low, rounded habit softens rock edges and fills pockets between stones. Give it bright sun and sharp drainage.

Bright rooms. A sunny window indoors suits it, as long as the light is strong. Pet owners can relax a little, because echeverias are not considered toxic to cats or dogs, although a chewed rosette rarely recovers.

Growing Dondo Succulent in Australia

Position and climate. Bright sunlight suits it best. It grows outdoors in warm temperate, Mediterranean, and arid and semi-arid gardens, and in subtropical ones if kept out of persistent rain. Established plants should handle a light frost, but hard or repeated frosts and cold, wet soil are another matter, so in colder districts pot it and shelter it under cover.

Soil. Free draining, gritty soil. Cactus mix blended with coarse sand is ideal, and a gravel top-dressing keeps the base dry.

Water and feed. Water sparingly, and only once the top of the soil is dry, keeping the rosette itself dry. After the first week of settling in, a deep soak every two weeks in summer suits a pot, with much less in cool months. A single light feed in spring is optional.

Pruning. No pruning. Cut spent flower stems off at the base when the blooms fade, and peel away dead, dry leaves.

What to expect when it arrives

Dondo 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. Tube plants are small and green, and flowering follows once the plant is mature and settled.

Succulents are among the easiest plants to post. Unpack the box promptly, pot the plant into gritty mix and leave it unwatered for about a week so any bruised roots can heal. Stock of this tube depends on our grower and is not always there. When the page shows sold out, press the notify button and we will email you the day it is back.

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

• Browse our echeveria collection
• More plants for balconies and decks
• How to grow succulents in Australia
• A guide to creating a waterwise garden

Common questions

When does Dondo flower?

Happy, mature plants carry bright orange-yellow flowers. A newly potted tube plant needs time to build size first, so be patient in the first season.

Can it stay outside through winter?

In a mild climate, yes. It should come through a light frost, but protect it from hard frost and from cold, wet conditions.

Which size should I choose?

The tube suits a single plant or a small order. The 140mm pack gives ten established plants for a long edge or a run of pots.