Tips for Growing Pachyveria Powder Puff Succulents

x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’

With thick, chunky leaves and a pale blue glow, x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is a beautiful addition to a succulent collection!

‘Powder Puff’ is an intergeneric cross between two succulents – Pachyphytum oviferum (commonly known as moonstones) and Echeveria cante.

This cultivar was bred in the 1970s by an unknown breeder in the United States.

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With genes of both a pachyphytum and an echeveria, ‘Powder Puff’ is classified as a member of the Crassulaceae or stonecrop family and counts among its relatives numerous succulents, such as crassulas, kalanchoes, and sedums such as donkey’s tail!

As a hybrid, ‘Powder Puff’ doesn’t have a native habitat, but its parent species hail from arid regions, leading to the drought-tolerance of this succulent plant.

Also known as ‘Exotica’ or ‘Kobayashi,’ ‘Powder Puff’ can be grown indoors as a houseplant with adequate light, or outdoors year round in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11.

Our guide to growing pachyverias gives an overview of the genus and basic care requirements.

Whether you’re interested in this plant for its thick foliage or its gorgeously cool color, this article will guide you in the proper care needed to keep one of these pachyverias compact and gorgeous!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What Is ‘Powder Puff’ Pachyveria?

x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is an evergreen succulent that has pale blue foliage with a pink tinge.

The oval leaves are thick, and held on three- to four-inch rosettes that are shaped like lotus flowers.

The feature that gives this pachyveria its blue glow is the layer of epicuticular wax that coats the foliage, also called farina.

This layer of farina adds to the attraction of the pachyveria, as well as providing it protection from diseases, pests, and the sun!

These plants produce offsets, which gives them a spreading and clumping growth habit. They reach three to six inches tall with a spread of approximately 12 inches.

And borne on plants even indoors when light is sufficient, the flowers of are bell shaped, and pink with yellow interiors.

‘Powder Puff’ Pachyveria Propagation

As x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ is a hybrid cross between plants in two different genera, seed-grown specimens may not grow true to type.

To propagate, you can grow new clones from leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or offsets.

We’ll describe each of those methods, as well as providing guidance for transplanting.

From Leaf Cuttings

An easy way to propagate new ‘Powder Puff’ specimens is by taking leaf cuttings from an existing plant. If you accidentally broke off a leaf while you were moving your plant, don’t waste it, use it for propagation!

When choosing leaves for this purpose, make sure the leaf is healthy and isn’t damaged at all. Those that are wilting, mushy, or broken off part way won’t be able to grow new plantlets.

Also, to keep as much symmetry in the mother plant as possible, choose foliage from the bottom of the rosette where its loss will be less noticeable.

After collecting the leaves, place them in a dry location out of direct sunlight, and allow their wounds to callus over. This should take five days to a week, and the plants may even start to grow roots during this time too!

While waiting for the leaves to callus over, you can gather the rest of your supplies – you’ll need trays or nursery pots and growing medium.

The growing medium should be made up of 50 to 70 percent mineral content and the rest organic matter.

The best way to ensure this ratio is to make your own succulent potting medium.

For the organic matter, my favorite mix is Rosy Soil’s Houseplant Mix, available in four- or eight-quart bags from Rosy Soil via Walmart.

Rosy Soil Houseplant Mix

And for the mineral portion, choose from gritty ingredients such as small lava rocks, pumice, coarse sand, and clay gravel or pebbles.

Jack’s Gritty Mix is made up of mostly clay gravel along with some pine fines, and is perfect for incorporating into a mix for pachyverias.

Jack’s Gritty Mix

It’s available from the Bonsai Jack Store via Amazon.

When it comes to pots, a two- to three-inch pot can be used to root a single leaf, or you can use a larger pot or a tray to root several.

When the leaves are callused over, fill the pots or trays nearly all the way, leaving a half inch to an inch gap between the surface of the potting medium and the rim of the pot.

Place the leaves horizontally on the surface of the soil, at least two inches apart.

If you live in an arid climate, you may need to mist the soil to provide a bit of moisture to help the plantlet grow. For those in more humid climates, the moisture contained in the leaf will likely be enough to support the initial root growth.

Within a few weeks, you should notice roots growing from the cut end, followed by tiny plantlets starting to form.

When you notice plantlets growing, mist the soil to keep it moist but not soggy.

Allow the plantlets to continue growing in the same container at least until they have several leaves – or even longer – before transplanting. There’s no rush!

If you are growing multiple leaf cuttings in trays or large pots, eventually you’ll want to transplant the individual plantlets to a pot of their own. You’ll find transplanting tips coming up shortly, so keep reading!

Plantlets grown from leaf cuttings in small individual pots can remain in the same containers until they outgrow them.

Want to learn more about propagating succulents from leaf cuttings? Read our guide!

From Stem Cuttings

New specimens can also be grown from stem cuttings.

Use a pair of clean, sterilized scissors or garden pruners to cut a rosette with a length of stem about three to six inches long.

Next, trim the cutting so that there’s only an inch of stem below the rosette.

Allow the cutting to callus off in a dry location out of direct sunlight for five to seven days. Make sure the wound is facing up, so that air flow can help it heal over without rotting.

When the cutting has formed a callus, pot it up as indicated in the transplanting section below!

From Offsets

Have you noticed cute little baby ‘Powder Puff’ pups growing from the stem of the mother plant?

These are called offsets, and they can be separated into new plants – but wait until the offsets are at least a third of the size of the mother plant before dividing them.

To remove offsets, use a pair of clean, sterilized snips to sever the pup from the mother.

Before transplanting it into its own pot, allow the offset to callus over – a process which should take five to seven days.

Read our article to learn more about how to propagate succulent offsets.

From Transplants

If you just brought home a ‘Powder Puff’ pachyveria and are wondering if you need to repot it, for now you can most likely wait – unless the plant is growing in a pot without drainage holes.

You’ll learn more about the best time to repot later in the article, so keep reading! For now, let’s review the steps required to transplant one of these pachyverias from one pot to another.

Make sure to choose a pot that has drainage holes and is just one size larger than the current container the plant is growing in, if the pachyveria is already potted.

For bare roots, stem cuttings, or offsets, choose a pot that accommodates the size of the rosette – this will typically be between two and four inches wide, depending on the width of the rosette.

You’ll also need some gritty succulent growing medium, such as the mix recommended above.

For pachyverias with small or no root systems, fill the pot mostly full with growing medium, poke a hole in the medium, and insert the plant’s root ball or the base of the stem.

For those which already have a well-developed root ball, put just a shallow layer of potting medium in the bottom of the pot.

Remove most of the old growing medium from around the roots if you are changing to a new mix. Otherwise, loosen up only the outer roots before setting it in the container and filling in around the root ball with soil as needed.

After transplanting, wait a week before watering.

How to Grow ‘Powder Puff’ Pachyveria

There are a few elements of this pachyveria’s care routine that are important to get right, and we’re going to address those next.

‘Powder Puff’ needs at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. If you’re using a light meter to check exposure levels – that translates into at least six hours at 800-foot candles or more.

If you’re keeping your ‘Powder Puff’ indoors as a houseplant for part or all of the year, you will probably need to use a grow light to achieve these light levels.

Without sufficient light this succulent will become etiolated – the center will start to grow into a long stem, ruining its lotus-flower-like good looks, as well as weakening the plant.

As for how much water to provide, the approach needed here is pretty easy – allow the growing medium to dry out thoroughly between waterings. This will be less often in winter when days are shorter and cooler, than in summer when days are longer and hotter.

Sticking your finger into the pot is one way to test for dryness. Another way is to pick up the pot and learn to recognize how light it is when the potting mix is fully dry.

If you aren’t confident in your ability with either of those methods, you can also use a moisture meter to give you an objective reading of soil moisture.

Once you decide it’s time to water, remove the pachyveria from its saucer (if it has one), and place it in a bowl.

You can either water via the bottom watering method, or use a houseplant watering can with a narrow spout to evenly pour water over the surface of the soil.

Water until liquid runs out of the pot’s drainage holes, drain the liquid, and allow the pot to drain thoroughly before returning the plant to its usual location.

The growing medium for x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ should have a pH range between 6.1 to 6.5.

In addition, it should be extremely well-draining, with 50 to 70 percent mineral content and the remaining ingredients made of a mix of non-mineral ingredients, such as biochar, compost, pine bark fines, and coconut coir.

‘Powder Puff’ thrives in temperatures between 60 to 80°F, and can be damaged or killed by temperatures that drop below 35°F.

This means that in summer, these plants can do with some light shade during the hottest part of the day, especially if you live in a hot climate.

And if you have an indoor ‘Powder Puff’ succulent outside for the summer, be sure to bring the houseplant back indoors before weather cools to winter conditions.

You’ll find more tips on caring for succulents during winter in our guide.

This pachyveria also has low humidity needs – a range of 40 to 50 percent or lower is fine.

For more humid locations, air circulation is important, so don’t crowd plants together and use a fan if necessary to keep the air moving.

Growing Tips

• Expose plants to at least six hours of direct sunlight, but provide light shade during high heat.
• Allow the potting medium to dry completely between waterings.
• Provide excellent drainage via the growing medium and pot.

Maintenance

‘Powder Puff’ doesn’t require much maintenance, but you’ll no doubt have a few questions regarding repotting and fertilizing, so let’s dig into those right now!

Are you having a hard time deciding whether it’s time to repot or not? Here are some clues to help you with this decision:

First of all, autumn or spring are the best times to repot these succulent plants, as they may have slower growth during the summer and winter, depending on the growing conditions.

Has it been two to three years since the succulent was last repotted? If so, it’s time to at least refresh the potting medium.

Next to consider is the root system. Lift the plant out of its pot and check the root ball – if the succulent has become root bound, it’s time to offer the ‘Powder Puff’ a larger pot!

If this is the case, choose a container that’s just one size larger – and make sure it has drainage holes.

Also check the growing medium. Does the plant still have plenty of room in its pot, but the growing medium looks like its the wrong type?

If ‘Powder Puff’ is growing in medium that is holding too much water, keep the same sized container, but change out the potting medium.

You can wait to repot the plant if it is in the right type of growing medium, still has room for its roots to spread, and has been repotted within the last two to three years.

Another simple maintenance task you should include in your care routine is to remove dead foliage from the bottom of the rosette as you notice it.

Why? If it is not removed, this detritus can provide a foothold for pests and diseases.

It’s a great idea to check for dead foliage each time you water!

Finally, to keep a ‘Powder Puff’ succulent in excellent shape, avoid touching the plant’s leaves where possible to keep the farina intact.

I know it’s hard because the leaves are so cute, but oils from our skin remove this protective layer of wax, so handle the plant from the bottom of the rosette, the stem – or better yet – the pot, whenever possible.

Where to Buy

If you’ve decided to add a ‘Powder Puff’ pachyveria to your succulent collection, know that while they aren’t the rarest of plants, they aren’t as widespread in garden nurseries as hens and chicks either.

However, if you’re lucky and have a local nursery with a wide selection of succulents, why not ask if they carry this pachyveria?

Of course there are online nurseries that specialize in succulents as well.

Better yet, instead of purchasing a specimen, you might be able to trade a cutting of one of your own plants for a x Pachyveria ‘Powder Puff’ leaf or stem cutting on a plant trading forum!

Managing Pests and Disease

Pachyverias aren’t generally bothered by disease or pests, but always quarantine new specimens for two months or so – just in case! And be aware of these potential risks to the plant’s health:

For those growing these succulents outdoors, keep an eye out for both deer and rabbits. To keep rabbits away, you don’t need very tall fencing, but the type of mesh used is important.

Follow our tips to keep rabbits out of your garden.

If deer tend to help themselves to your garden plants, keep them away from your potted succulents as well. The best way to do this is with a tall fence.

Learn how to build a DIY deer fence with our guide.

The types of insect pests commonly encountered with this pachyveria are succulent mites, aphids, and mealybugs.

While the fuzzy white residue of mealybugs makes these pests fairly easy to spot on plant foliage – when they are feeding on the roots of a plant, they are much harder to catch!

So when checking your specimen for pests, don’t hesitate to lift it out of its pot and check the roots too.

Learn more about identifying and controlling mealybugs in our guide.

Are the leaves turning mushy? The succulent is likely rotting.

Rotting in succulent plants can be caused by too much water, inadequate drainage, or using a potting medium with too much organic matter.

Review the recommendations earlier in this article to determine what caused the rotting to start.

Learn more about how to deal with rotting succulents in our guide.

Best Uses for ‘Powder Puff’ Pachyveria

Are you cultivating a collection of blue succulent plants? If so, you’ll definitely want to include ‘Powder Puff’ pachyveria!

‘Powder Puff’ can also be enjoyed as a houseplant when placed next to a sunny window or under a grow light.

And since this succulent is considered nontoxic, it’s safe in homes with young children and curious pets.

‘Powder Puff’ can also be grown in a succulent planter or succulent fairy gardens with other drought-tolerant plants!

And for those in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11, ‘Powder Puff’ can be planted in xeriscapes, where it can spread as a ground cover or trail over low rock walls in a rock garden.