Echeveria after snow

After the first cold spell of the winter it is always worrying looking around for damage. With some succulents like the agaves it is rare to see any damage at this early stage  and even at the end of winter they can look fine only to keel over a month later due to rot.  Other plants like aeoniums damage is instant, you can walk out after one night to find the entire plant has melted and there is a pile of mush where the plant used to be.

Echeverias fall in the middle of this, some melt and some look to be fine until they suddenly collapse. Given that very few cope unprotected in the UK, I only ever have a few out as tests.  Last year I had echeveria afterglow under a rain cover and while it wasn't unaffected it survived without any real problems.  This year I left one planted unprotected and as you can see from the photo the results have not been so good.  One day covered in snow and a low of -5 was enough to do serious damage.

Thankfully this is the only damage so far and it was an experiment anyway.  Comparing to the reports of damage from other parts of the country I have been lucky so far.  Long may it stay that way.