It all started on one rainy day in May of last year. We were taking a walk and suddenly had to seek some shelter from pouring water on our heads. 😆 We found a place to overwait this strong, but short outburst of the mother nature. It happened to be a Grocery Outlet store. Right away I went to the section with live (still alive, but not all of them) plants.😅 And among half-dead succulents, I found this baby in a 3” ceramic gray pot without any holes. 😍

Looking at this gorgeous echeveria now, it’s hard to believe that the plant in the small gray pot is the same one as in all other pictures! 🧡 It had arching leaves, which is an indication that the plant starved for light. Only the tiny 3 new leaves did not have physical damage from harsh handling. But it had a healthy thick stem and that’s all I needed to try to rescue it! I carried this unnamed echeveria in my hands all the way home. 🧡

It showed a rapid growth in the garden and was transferred into a very big pot under my Fortunella margarita kumquat tree. I can tell you, it is very happy there! 🤩

It turned out that it is a big gibbiflora hybrid. Right now it is almost 1’ across. The leaves edged with a thin line of red crispy ruffles. And 2 huge flower stalks are about to explode with flowers! 🤩 At this point I started to have an intuition of what this hybrid’s name might be…

I had to get an opinion from a Facebook group (SF Bay Area Succulent Collectors), where Cody Calamia offered a name that seems to fit well. 😉

This is Echeveria 'Dick’s Pink', a well known echeveria hybridized by Dick Wright.

This unbelievable transformation reminds me of the fairy tale of the Ugly Duckling. 🧡 I just love seeing how resilient succulents are and enjoy helping them transform into healthy gorgeous plants! 🤩⁠

P.S. I learned that this echeveria will turn more purple in winter. I am so curious to see it! 😉