Aeonium
Aeonium arboreum and hybrids
Aeoniums are succulents with glossy rosettes on branching stems, in green, burgundy or almost black. Unlike most succulents, they grow in the cool, damp months and rest in summer heat.
Photo: Hedwig Storch · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Full sun, Partial sun
Watering
Low
Water when the soil is dry during the cool growing season; water very little in hot summer dormancy, when rosettes close up.
Soil
Well-drained succulent mix; pH 6.0–7.0.
Temperature and humidity
2–32 °C · Low humidity
Feeding
Feed lightly once a month while actively growing.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by stem cuttings
Cut off leggy rosettes with a piece of stem and re-root them.
Aeoniums are not toxic.
Top Cultivation Tips
Dark varieties need full sun for deep colour.
Rosettes that flower then die; keep side shoots.
Protect from frost.
Give afternoon shade in hot summers.
Common problems
Aphids
Small, soft-bodied insects that cluster on new shoots and buds, sucking sap and leaving sticky honeydew behind.
How to treat it →PestMealybugs
White, cottony insects that hide in leaf joints and under leaves, weakening plants and spreading easily to neighbours.
How to treat it →DiseaseRoot rot
Roots decay in waterlogged soil, so the plant wilts and yellows even though the soil is wet.
How to treat it →
