West Hills, CA (Zone 10a) | September 2015 | positive
Echeveria Neon Breakers is my favorite succulent. Since there are no comments I will post pics and write what I can to add some info. <...Read Morebr />
Echeveria Neon Breakers can be found at many big box stores, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart etc. At the store, coming straight from growers or shady conditions, it looks very similar to other wavy Echeveria. It's usually has flat light green leaves with wavy edges, some times they are pink and sometimes not. But once you get it home and plant it, it really shines!
Once planted in a well draining soil and acclimated to the sun it can hold up against the most brutal conditions. I'm in the San Fernando Valley, where are summers are 100+ F with no rain/clouds. I have some Neon Breakers in a brick lined pool planter where it gets beaten with direct sun and very high heat (like a brick oven) all day (10 hours). I joke it's where plants go to die... But Neon Breakers takes the heat without ever burning or crisping. There is also an overhead sprinkler that hits it every three days and leaving the area too wet really (though it's well draining soil) until the sun bakes it away and Neon Breakers doesn't rot, even when it's crown has been buried in moist soil on occasion.
What it does is grow! My little 4" plants have now become 10" diameter echeverias, in about 3 months. I was surprised that it seemed to grow year round, but I researched online and I wasn't imagining it, Neon Breakers is unusual that it doesn't have a dormant phase, it just keeps growing.
My neon breakers planted in 6 hour or less of full sun become kind of two toned. The outer leaves and toward the base stay green but the uppers turn a blue-green and of course, the pink wavy edges intensify to neon pink. Very dainty and pretty.
But, my Neon Breakers in the heat & sun oven area became even more dramatic at the height of summer, July. They had a bluish-green base turning deep plum PURPLE lined with the bright neon pink edges. That's when I bought 6 more, I was hooked. I included a picture from July, the color is surreal. I'm not sure with all the heat and sun there, if the extra water helped or hindered but I'm not messing with it. ;)
When Neon Breakers blooms in late summer/early fall, the stems are proportional to the plant size. I measured the blooms of my 10" Neon Breakers and they are 25" long, unstraightened. The stems are purple with purple leaves and hot pink flowers. They match its pink edges. Looks very designed, lol.
If I had to give it any cons, it's that it in over year, it's never offset. So you can only use cuttings or seeds to propagate a few more for your garden. Just my opinion but I think it looks really nice with many of the cool toned echeverias: Echeveria Afterglow, peacockii, violet queen, blue sky and Lola, among others and with bright greens, like jelly beans and Echeveria Lime 'n' Chili.
Echeveria Neon Breakers is my favorite succulent. Since there are no comments I will post pics and write what I can to add some info. <...Read More