Echeveria gibbiflora

Native to Mexico, this perennial succulent subshrub forms large rosettes of thick, wavy-edged leaves on persistent stems. The leaves range from green to olive, often with a lilac tint. Flower stalks can reach about 3 feet tall and bear pinkish flowers that are yellow inside. It grows on volcanic rocks in dry scrub and open pine-oak woodland, at about 5,900 to 7,550 feet in Mexico. Flowering during the cooler months provides nectar for hummingbirds when fewer other plants are in bloom. It is also cultivated in gardens that need little irrigation. Photographed in Colombia.