This remarkable hybrid came to our attention only recently. It has proven to be a clean grower, easily propagated from leaves but matures slowly into a blemish free rosette to 6" across. What is remarkable is the firmness of the leaves, more like the tubercles of an Ariocarpus than the usually soft-fleshy echeverias. We acquired the plant from a local vendor under the name ‘Silver Ruffles’, coined by another grower who thought it was too good not to have a cultivar name. This was in reference to the opalescent coloring and the leaf margins that become more undulate in mature plants. We were able to trace the source of the plant back to one of the largest wholesale nurseries in Vista, CA, Western Cactus Growers. According to Thomas Britsch, President of Western Cactus, they acquired it from a distributor in Kenya as Echeveria 'Madiba'. The cultivar name is the Xhosa clan to which Nelson Mandela belonged and was also used as his nickname. The cultivar name was chosen in his honor, a fitting name reflecting the plants endurance and dignified bearing. E. ‘Madiba’ is a chance hybrid that originated in the nursery of Paco Serrano in Spain. It was found among seedlings of E. lilacina, but it is uncertain whether that is the seed parent. The pollen parent is also a matter of conjecture, but the epidermal character and the plants hardiness suggest E. agavoides. We offer rooted plants of HBG 142591.
Orders are shipped by USPS Priority Mail. We will do our best to process orders promptly. Please allow up to six weeks for processing.
Once your order has been processed, packed, and ready to be shipped, you will receive an email with your item's tracking number. Once your order has been shipped, it will take 1-3 business days to arrive.
Plants cannot be shipped to Napa or Sonoma Counties in California.
Counties north of Ventura require mandatory pesticide treatment.
The following states (subject to change) require a phytosanitary certification by a California agricultural inspector: AL, AZ, FL, ID, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV and all US Territories.
Orders that require an agricultural inspection will be notified at checkout. There may be additional fees associated with your order.
If you have selected 'pickup' as your delivery method, please wait until you receive an email from us to let you know that your order is ready to be collected and to schedule a date/time for pickup.
You do not need a ticket to pick up your order.
Orders are accepted from May 30 until September 30, or while supplies last.
Many items are in limited supply so we may limit the number of an individual plant per household.
"Sold Out" plants are kept on the site for archival purposes.
Our team is working to upload and update inventories from previous ISI catalogs. We appreciate your patience as that process is ongoing. You are welcome to inquire about plants from previous ISI catalogs using the contact form.
We do not offer discounts of any kind, even for Huntington members.