The Canary Islands are home to the majority of aeonium species; others can be found in Madeira, Morocco, and East Africa. Aeoniums are most famous for their eye-catching rosettes of waxy, thick leaves that sprout from a single stem. Both long and branching stems and short, stubby stems are possible.
The way aeoniums develop and branch out is one of its distinctive characteristics. From a single flowerhead, they multiply and generate offsets. A single flowerhead produces several offsets before dying, following which new offsets grow and branch out. Because it produces so many offsets, the demise of one flowerhead is barely recognized.
Aeoniums are available in a wide range of kinds, hues, forms, and sizes. The majority of aeoniums are monocarpic plants, which means that they pass away after flowering. Aeoniums are tough, cold-tolerant plants. They thrive in either full sun or little shade.
In extremely hot and dry weather, aeoniums go dormant. To reduce excessive water loss, their leaves will curl and fall. Their true growth period is throughout the winter or spring, unlike some succulent plants. You can cultivate aeoniums in the ground or in containers.
Is aeonium resistant to frost?
Aeoniums flourish in bright, dry environments whether they are grown indoors or outside. They perform best in exceptionally well-drained soil or in a gravel garden because they retain water in their thick, fleshy leaves and require very little water. They are suitable for coastal gardens since their foliage is wind-resistant. Grow them in pots if your garden doesn’t meet the requirements, either by themselves or alongside other bedding plants that can withstand drought, such pelargoniums. Give aeoniums a bright area where they can get some direct sunlight if you’re growing them inside.
How to plant an aeonium
When planting an aeonium, good drainage is essential. They struggle in compost that is chilly and moist because the stem and roots rot.
The best container is made of terracotta since it is porous and lets the soil dry out between waterings. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole; it’s crucial for any extra water to be able to drain. For drainage, place a layer of 2-3 cm of gravel, grit, or crocks at the bottom of the pot. A pot the same size as the rootball should be chosen. Use a 60:40 mixture of peat-free, multipurpose compost (or a John Innes number 2) and perlite, horticultural grit, or sand to create a free-draining compost because this is crucial. A 1 cm coating of horticultural grit could be placed on top of the compost to aid in drainage and prevent stem rot.
When planting an aeonium with a flat top, like the Aeonium tabuliforme, tilt the container so that rainfall can readily flow off it outside.
Make sure your soil is free draining before planting an aeonium; sandy soil or a gravel garden are perfect.
Caring for aeoniums
Aeoniums are native to hot, dry regions that occasionally see intense downpours. If you’re growing aeoniums inside, attempt to mimic this process by letting the soil totally dry out before giving it a good watering and letting any extra water drain away. This approach is superior to watering sparingly but frequently. Reduce watering in summer and winter because aeoniums are actively growing in the fall and spring.
Rainfall should provide your aeoniums with all the water they require if you’re keeping them outside, whether in a garden or a pot.
From winter through late spring, you can feed your aeonium once a month with a half-strength plant food.
As long as their compost is not damp, aeoniums can tolerate cold winter temperatures as long as the temperature does not fall below 5C. However, they cannot tolerate frost.
How to propagate aeoniums
Aeoniums are easily multiplied by taking cuttings, which will root in a few weeks. In the spring, take cuttings. Choose tender, fresh shoots for proliferation. Compared to older, thicker shoots, these will root more readily and have greater vigor.
Cut healthy shoots with stems that are about 10 cm long. To prevent leaving a snag, stabilize the stem in your hand and cut it flush with the main stem. To make an accurate cut, use sharp secateurs.
Once the wound has calloused, turn the cuttings on their side and keep them somewhere dry and warm for a few days (see cutting on left of picture). This will lessen the possibility that the cutting may subsequently develop rot.
Insert cuttings into grit- and soil-based potting compost that is 5 cm or 8 cm deep into the pots. Make sure that at least half of the stem is above compost level and firm the compost at the cutting’s base.
After lightly wetting each cutting, add a 1 cm layer of crushed grit or perlite to the compost surface. Shake the pot to create a flat surface. This layer enhances drainage, keeping the stem dry.
Keep your cuttings indoors, in a well-lit area like a sunny windowsill, at a temperature of 18–20°C while keeping them uncovered. Make sure not to water straight onto the leaves as you water your cuttings sparingly until they have rooted. Always strive to keep the compost just barely damp.
Growing aeoniums: problem solving
- The most frequent cause of aeonium issues is overwatering. Aeoniums are native to hot, dry climates, and they look their best when your home or garden mimics these conditions.
- The cause of washed-out, pale foliage may be excessive irrigation. Reduce watering and wait till the compost is totally dry before watering it again. If you’re cultivating an aeonium as a house plant, you could also discover that taking it outside in the summer will bring back its brilliant color.
- In the summer, it’s typical to see a closed-up rosette with dried leaves around the edge that are falling off. When it’s hot, aeoniums go dormant.
- A stretched-out, leggy plant indicates that it is not receiving enough light. Place it in a more well-lit area.
- Aerial roots are concealed by hairy stems. They occasionally develop naturally and pose little threat. However, they can indicate that your plant isn’t growing in the ideal environment. It’s possible that the soil’s roots aren’t receiving enough water. This should be avoided by giving the compost a thorough watering before letting it dry out. Watering sparingly is also ineffective because the compost needs the water to permeate deeply. On the other hand, if no perlite, sand, or grit was added to the compost before planting, they can be an indication that it isn’t free draining enough. Aerial roots may also indicate that your plant needs to be replanted or that it is rootbound and not receiving enough light.
- Rot is indicated by a brown, mushy stem and is brought on by overwatering, especially during the winter.
- As aeoniums are monocarpic, they die after flowering, thus if your plant starts to wither after flowering, this is typical. On branching variations, just the rosette that gave rise to the flower will wither away, though. The plant will continue to grow even if the flower head and rosette are removed.
- Mealybugs, which are white, fluffy blobs around 5mm in diameter, may be seen on the vegetation. Use a cotton pad dipped in organic pesticide to wipe them off.
- For plants raised in pots outside, vine weevil can be an issue. The first indication you may notice is a plant that is suddenly dying since these eat the roots covertly. Adults on the leaves and white grubs in the compost should be avoided. If you see any, get rid of right away. In late August or early September, treat with an organic nematode drench.
Advice on buying aeoniums
- Aeoniums come in a wide range of sizes, with some reaching up to 1 m by 1 m, like Aeonium arboreum. So be sure you have space for the variety you’ve chosen. It will require a lot of bright light indoors or in a sunny area outside.
- Verify that your plant has robust, meaty leaves and is not writhing awkwardly.
- Aeoniums are available at garden centers, but for the best selection, go to a store that specializes in succulents or house plants, or order online.
Aeonium is Hardy in the UK.
*All images were captured at our nursery in South West Wales (More plants for reference only)
The Aeonium Simsii listed here is properly packaged and has strong roots. The plants were raised in West Wales, United Kingdom, using organic, peat-free local compost that is accessible as plugs or potted plants. This Aeonium is an aggressively spreading, low-growing succulent. It will make a thick cushion of ground cover or flow over the borders of pots. During the summer, it blooms with lovely yellow flowers—and plenty of them! It has densely striped, tiny bronze stripes on its bright green leaf. One of the most resilient Aeonium species, Simsii is likely to survive the entire year in the UK winter if placed in a protected area.
Succulents are low maintenance, simple to maintain plants since they thrive on neglect. They look great on windowsills, rockeries, and pots.
Aeoniums go dormant throughout the winter.
Aeonium plants have been grown commercially in Europe since 1711, and they continue to rank among the most well-liked succulents today. The Canary Islands, which have a moderate, dry summer environment quite similar to ours in Monterey, are home to unique aeonium plants. Aeonium are well suited for cultivation at Succulent Gardens due to the similarity in environment.
You might be wondering why your Aeonium have been shriveled up and appear to be dying for months at a time during this time of year. Give it a couple more weeks, please!
Aeoniums are winter growers, in contrast to many other succulents. They flourish in areas with cool winter showers and go dormant during the scorching, dry summers. As seen in the photo of Aeonium undulatum, during dormancy, Aeonium plants lose their basal leaves along the stem of the plant, and the remaining leaves develop into compact, tightly-closed rosettes (pictured left).
It’s difficult to imagine that the undulatum in this photo (on the right) is the same plant as the one shown above. Aeonium open rosettes and begin contentedly expanding as they emerge from dormancy! The latent period may be brief or simply ignored in a mild climate. However, the likelihood that your Aeonium will sit dormant until the climate cools increases the hotter and longer the summer.
Some species can withstand dryness very well, while others, like Aeonium arboreum and Aeonium haworthii, can withstand cold weather fairly well. From short, clumping, and trailing stems to tall, sub-shrub, and semi-arborescens kinds, they can grow in a variety of ways. They may give a variety of touches to your pots and garden beds thanks to their wide range of colors and leaf shapes.