The ugly duckling

There once was a little echeveria hybrid who felt very unloved compared to the other hybrids.  It wasn't its fault it didn't turn out as pretty as the others, after all you can't choose your parents. For years it was considered a poor echeveria agavoides hybrid while the other hybrids were pampered, named and given pride of place. The only bit of attention it was given was to humiliate it in a post here highlighting how plain it was.  Come winter it was put storage, tucked away at the back, out of sight and out of mind.

Come spring waking up, it tentatively put out its first flower spike.  Quietly not wanting to attract attention it opened its first flower hidden among the other plants.

Then something amazing happened, it noticed that the flower was being photographed and assumed that again it was to be humiliated. But it wasn't

Slowly it built in confidence and put out more flowers and with each flower it got more attention.  No one seemed to be laughing, instead the comments were about how good it looked.

Finally it was able to take pride of place. Its flowers the best on display, not at all like the lack lustre flowers of its parents.

Gone are the plain leaves, the loose shape, replaced by thick, pale blue leaves a nice round rosette and those lovely large flowers.

The ugly duckling was ugly no more.