Graptoveria ‘Starfire’ is an exceptional hybrid of Graptopetalum filiferum × Echeveria lilacina ‘Crispate Beauty,’ created by Leo González of Suculentia—a renowned hybridizer of Crassulaceae plants based in the countryside of Elche, Alicante Province, Spain.
After growing Starfire through a full season and a half in our greenhouse, we can confidently say this variety is truly unproblematic and an absolute joy to cultivate. It has shown no particular susceptibility to fungal pathogens or common pests.
During the warmth of summer, Starfire loses its signature pink blush and maintains a crisp, clean green tone. Increased amounts of sunlight on our specimens further the fragmented spiky appearance and cold weather continually increases coloration. In March when our greenhouse was at its coldest 'Starfire' turned from pink to almost entirely red.
While Starfire is among the best-known hybrids of Crispate, it’s not the only one. Another commonly distributed variety in the United States is Echeveria ‘Queen’s Crown.' Reportedly originating from China, Its exact parentage remains unclear—some growers debate whether it’s a true hybrid or simply a selection from Crispate Beauty itself—but regardless it has become a familiar name in many enthusiasts collections.
E. 'Queens Crown' from Aaron Lovett @a.d.lovett
The use of Crispate as a parent in hybridization shows no sign of slowing down. Collectors love the fragmented, swirled leaf margins these hybrids inherit. We’re already seeing many hybridizers share early glimpses of new Crispate-based creations. And! Even we have some Crispate hybrids of our own to share. The future of succulent cultivation will undoubtedly feature an ever-growing selection of these Crispate descendants. And the possibilities are endless: F₁ generations already show remarkable variation, while F₂ and F₃ crosses promise even wilder, more novel traits. And with spontaneous sports and selections still to come, we’ve only begun to see what this lineage is capable of.
Back in September, we came across a hybrid from a well-known Korean succulent breeder Papasucculent. Much like Graptoveria ‘Starfire’, this unnamed hybrid features sharp, fragmented leaf spirals—but what sets it apart is its deep purple coloration and fluorescent pink stress markings concentrated near the rosette’s center. We’ve reached out to Papasucculent to learn more about its parentage, but have not yet received a response. We’ll be sure to update this post if they get back to us. We’re dying to know what was crossed with Crispate to produce such a masterpiece.
A new Crispate Hybrid by @papasucculent
The second breeder producing noteworthy Crispate Beauty hybrids is the Japanese succulent farm O’s Plant Creations. They’ve been exceptionally busy in recent years, developing a range of truly remarkable specimens. In one of their recent Instagram posts, they even teased upcoming crosses between Echeveria Lilacina 'Crispate Beauty' and Echeveria setosa in an effort to create a “mossy” variety. The instagram post we sourced the below photo from mentioned that the same parentage as Graptoveria ‘Starfire’ was used to produce the more blue-toned hybrid shown below. Meanwhile, the matte pink form on the left was identified as Echeveria purpusorum × Echeveria Lilacina 'Crispate Beauty'. Regardless of the parentage, the photo alone has us absolutely drooling.
Crispate Hybrids by @os_plantscreation
So far, we’ve had some success creating and selecting a few Crispate hybrids right here in our own greenhouse — though it hasn’t come without its challenges. Hybridizing Echeveria is no easy task as many potential crosses turn out to be sterile. We’ve attempted dozens of crosses involving Crispate yet only a small handful have produced viable specimens. Still, each successful hybrid feels like a little victory, and the potential keeps us inspired to keep going.
Please take a look at some of our Crispate-inspired hybrids below — and as always, thank you for reading!
Four sibling specimens of Echeveria Cante x Echeveria Lilacina 'Crispate Beauty'
Three hybrids of Echeveria 'Blue Surprise' x Echeveria Lilacina 'Crispate Beauty' with the most exceptional clone shown in the center.
Two hybrids of Echeveria Agavoides sp. x Echeveria Lilacina 'Crispate Beauty'