Echeveria 'Ben Badis', belonging to the Crassulaceae family and the Sedum genus, is a hybrid of the Echeveria variety 'Daiwajin' (female parent) and 'Jingye' (male parent). It combines the characteristics of both parents, with short spoon-shaped leaves that are thick and form a compact and symmetrical rosette. The base color of the leaves is a pale greenish-white, with a distinct red short dragon bone on the back of the leaves, connected to prominent red leaf tips. The leaves also exhibit extremely fine spots. Under normal conditions, the leaves are light green like 'Jingye,' but when in prime condition, they often turn red from the leaf tips, edges, and back dragon bone, with the base color becoming more layered, resembling the coloration of 'Daiwajin.'
Care Tips:
In terms of growth habits, it resembles its parent 'Daiwajin,' being robust and easy to care for, requiring minimal attention in cultivation. It prefers loose, well-draining soil and plenty of sunlight. Water thoroughly and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. During the growing season, maintain slightly moist soil, but avoid waterlogging. In summer, reduce watering, provide ventilation, shade, and cooling, making it relatively easy to manage throughout the summer. In winter, watering can be adjusted flexibly according to local conditions. Stop watering when the temperature drops below 5°C. Echeveria 'Ben Badis' is also prolific in reproduction, often producing numerous side shoots at the base, forming a clumping habit.
Propagation Methods: Leaf cuttings, division, topping.
Echeveria 'Ben Badis' is considered an ideal variety among succulent enthusiasts. Its compact and symmetrical rosette shape, thick leaves, and attractive colors—white with green, green with hints of red—along with the distinct red dragon bone and leaf tips, and fine spotting on the leaf surface, make it unique.
Echeveria 'Ben Badis' grows very slowly and maintained a high price for a period. However, its reproduction rate is relatively fast, with a high success rate for leaf cuttings, provided there are enough parent plants. Although it grows slowly, it can increase in quantity.
Furthermore, Echeveria 'Ben Badis' is not as susceptible to summer dormancy as its parent 'Jingye' and is more similar to its parent 'Daiwajin' in this regard, being relatively robust. Therefore, with the booming trend of succulent greenhouses across the country, the market supply has increased rapidly, leading to a gradual decrease in prices.
Echeveria 'Ben Badis' can be propagated by leaf cuttings or topping, with topping resulting in neat single heads. Despite its small leaf size, leaf cuttings can easily produce multiple heads. It is also a variety that tends to produce many side shoots, likely due to genetic factors inherited from both 'Daiwajin' and 'Jingye,' as both parents are prolific in producing offsets.
Single-headed Echeveria 'Ben Badis' with rooted tops maintain their growth state, with no fading of the red tips.
Clumped Echeveria 'Ben Badis' continue to grow, forming multiple-headed woody stumps. Because Echeveria 'Ben Badis' itself is small, the old stumps are also very delicate, allowing for the selection of suitable pot shapes according to the characteristics of the plants.