Plant profile - Aeonium

Aeoniums are an incredibly popular genus of succulent plants that are most often used in potted displays and brought inside during the colder months to keep them frost free.  Gardeners in Cornwall or along the south coast of the UK can usually risk leaving their plants outside during the winter months.  In the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off of Land’s End, they grow freely in the walls and gardens all year round. 

Most of the 33 species are native to The Canary Islands or Madeira but they’re spread throughout a number of African countries too.  As garden plants, forms with black or dark red rosettes are especially popular.  Most famous perhaps is ‘Zwartkop’ (black head) but other options include ‘Black Cap’, ‘Voodoo’, and ‘Big Bang’ with streaks of green. 

If you find the variegated forms attractive, ‘Poseidon’ (cream and green), ’Medusa’ (red and green) or ‘Fiesta (pink, green, and cream) will satisfy your collector’s curiosity.  For different leaf forms ‘Firecracker’ with long slim leaves to its rosette is a real eye catcher.  One that always invites comments is Aeonium tabuliforme.  With its almost dinner-plate-flat rosette it can reach an impressive 12 inches across.  A variegated variety of A. tabuliforme ‘Emerald Ice’ is equally impressive. 

Aeoniums are monocarpic, that is, they die after flowering but most will send up side rosettes to compensate. 

Plants require very little water during the summer months while the main growing seasons are actually in the autumn and spring.  Propagation is usually quite simple.  A rosette or stem, if one of the tree-like varieties, can be cut off from the main plant and simply potted into a gritty mix of compost.  Don’t rush the process however.  Leaving the severed stems exposed to the air for a week to callous over before potting greatly aids the rooting process. 

The RHS Plant Finder book offers a whole page of Aeonium varieties from which to choose and lists the suppliers you can contact for more advice.