Its mini shrub<\/a>-like form of up to 1m sees it produce numerous side branches, which can be selectively removed to enhance its shape. It is best grown in a pot so it can be stored frost-free over winter, where I\u2019ve found its colour fades somewhat, only to return again when the sunshine does. Like many of the arboreal aeoniums, this plant gets top heavy, so it\u2019s essential to have an even weightier pot<\/a> to avoid it toppling over under its own heft. I\u2019ve even used large stones in the top of the pot to keep plants stable.<\/p>\n More on<\/strong><\/p> Here’s our guide on propagating and caring for aeonium plus the best cultivars to grow.<\/p> Jump to<\/strong><\/p> The easiest way to propagate<\/a> is via stem cuttings. Simply cut a stem and rosette of 10-15cm and leave it in a dry place for around two weeks. Once the wound has calloused over, the cuttings can be potted into a 50\/50 mix of gravel and compost<\/a>, away from direct light, and allowed to root through. Leaf cuttings are also an option but work better with some species, such as A. tabuliforme. Simply twist off a leaf and lay on a bed of dampened sand, where tentative roots will appear within a few weeks.<\/p> Aeoniums are generally easy plants to care for, provided you pot them in a well-drained soil<\/a> and allow them to dry out between waterings.<\/p> Aeoniums are winter-growing plants that are triggered into growth once the winter solstice has passed, and become all but dormant during summer. During hot periods, their rosettes close up to help conserve water. In winter in the UK, they will need frost-free protection (ideally in a greenhouse<\/a>) with good air circulation, but in summer they are happiest outside.<\/p>\n For best results, grow in a terracotta pot <\/a>in a free-draining, 50\/50 mix of horticultural grit and general peat-free compost. This is best replaced via repotting every two to three years. Don\u2019t be tempted to coat the top of the compost in gravel<\/a>, as this can prevent you from assessing its relative dryness.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t water aeoniums while dormant in summer. They really don\u2019t like water when they are in their summer dormant phase and may require protection from rainstorms to prevent them rotting. At Chelsea Physic Garden,<\/a> we used plastic sheets to protect plants in this situation.<\/p> Water aeoniums only when you bring them back indoors (or move back into the greenhouse), in October, by plunging the pot into water until the soil is completely saturated. Once this initial soak has dried out, repeat the soak and dry out process until the end of February. From March until the end of April, you can feed plants with a half-strength, broad-spectrum liquid feed<\/a>, such as Miracle-Gro,<\/a> every two weeks. This will boost both flowering and growth.<\/p> Here’s more on how to water succulents<\/a><\/p>\n Aeoniums can also be grown from seed in spring. These are best sown on a thin layer of grit or alpine gravel on top of seed compost, then sprinkled gently with water, before covering the seed tray Pest and disease problems are not common with aeoniums but occur most frequently under glass. Look out for mealy bug and tortrix moth caterpillar, both of which can be squished with cotton buds.<\/p> Commonly know as the tree aeonium, this stately plant is among the largest in the genus. It can be found growing wild across five of the Canary Islands, where it develops a stocky, domed, shrubby form. Height: 2m. RHS H1C, USDA 9b-11.<\/p> Also known as Aeonium arboreum <\/em>\u2018Arnold Schwarzkopff\u2019, this is the most popular aeonium in the UK. The Huntington Botanical Gardens in California has crossed it with\u00a0Aeonium<\/em> canariense <\/em>to create many colourful, modern cultivars. 1m x 50cm. AGM. RHS H1C.<\/p> An Asian cultivar created (alarmingly) by radiating the plant. It has a strong arboreal form and as Listed as threatened, this elegant, dwarf arboreal plant was bred in the USA. Its succulent bronze leaves constantly alter in tone, becoming dark to almost black through the season. Its stubby, tightly packed leaves create a dense, attractive rosette. 40cm. Bred by Renee O\u2019Connell at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in California. This has variegated heads of striped purple, red, yellow and green leaves that get deeper in bright sunlight. Of unknown parentage but has a strong arboreal form. 50cm.<\/p> This Asian-bred, stocky arboreal plant has been around for more than a decade and appears stable in both cultivation and propagation. Its beautiful variegated heads provide a dramatic contrast to plain leaves. 55cm.<\/p> A clump-forming cultivar that has a good dome shape and is ideal for growing in a container. It is thought to be the progeny of the Gran Canaria species Aeonium<\/em><\/em> simsii<\/em>, and its fulsome rosettes have a similar quality to those of a houseleek. 35cm.<\/p> A species that originates in Yemen and east Africa, this is one of the rarer aeoniums available in the UK. It\u2019s an arboreal type with unusually pointed leaves that remain a solid green throughout the year. 70cm.<\/p> Sometimes listed as Aeonium<\/em><\/em> \u2018Lemon-Lime\u2019, this plant is possibly the oldest cultivar as it\u2019s been grown since the 1600s. It has a branching form and strong summer dormancy, so won\u2019t tolerate rain. 30cm.<\/p> Thought to be a naturally occurring garden hybrid, this multi-tonal green and purple aeonium was discovered in France. It\u2019s clump forming, naturally producing lots of side shoots. 40cm.<\/p> Listed under myriad names, this shrubby cultivar is likely a variant of Aeonium<\/em><\/em> haworthii<\/em>. It provides This arboreal aeonium is easy to grow and develops its best foliage colour in a full sun position. When mature it also produces a bright-yellow flowerhead. It can be pruned to enhance its form. New rosettes will form at the cuts. 1.5m.<\/p> Hailing from La Palma in the Canary Islands, this is a stalkless, monocarpic and thick-leaved species, and is the only aeonium with red flowers. Grow it in a rock garden to replicate the lava flows in which it naturally thrives. 40cm.<\/p> \u2022 Corseside Nursery Corseside Farm, Angle Road, Pembroke, Pembrokeshire SA71 5AA. Tel 07817 399872, corsesidenursery.com<\/a><\/p> \u2022 Piccolo Plants Nursery Berry Hill, Branscombe, Devon EX12 3BD. Tel 07722 486750, piccoloplantsnursery.co.uk<\/a><\/p> \u2022 Surreal Succulents Tremenheere Nursery, Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Gulval, Cornwall TR20 8YL. Tel 07476 349545, surrealsucculents.co.uk<\/a><\/p> \u2022 Mellie Lewis Hill View, 2 High Street, Clun, Shropshire SY7 8JB. By appointment only, and only during summer. melanie.lane@virgin.net<\/p> \u2022 RHS Garden Wisley Woking, Surrey GU23 6QB. Tel 01483 224234, rhs.org.uk\/gardens\/wisley<\/a><\/p> Aeonium is a genus of around 40 species in the Crassulaceae family. Aeoniums are rosette-forming, sometimes branched succulents with starry flowers held on often large, dramatic inflorescences.<\/p>\n These are naturally distributed in Atlantic islands including Madeira, Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and the arid environs of Morocco, Yemen and eastern Africa. Season Winter-growing, summer-dormant plants that usually flower in spring, but inflorescences can appear at virtually any time depending on condition or indoor\/outdoor cultivation.<\/p> Depending on the species, height varies from as little as 1cm up to more than 1m, while the width of both rosettes and overall form varies significantly depending on environment.<\/p> These dramatic and often statuesque succulents are finally having their moment in the sun \u2013 which is just where they like it. Words Nick Bailey, photographs Anna\u00efck Guitteny <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":25497,"template":"","categories":[1,51],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium.jpg",1707,2560,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-200x300.jpg",200,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-768x1152.jpg",768,1152,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-683x1024.jpg",683,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-1024x1536.jpg",1024,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/08\/how-to-care-for-and-propagate-aeonium-1366x2048.jpg",1366,2048,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"These dramatic and often statuesque succulents are finally having their moment in the sun \u2013 which is just where they like it. Words Nick Bailey, photographs Anna\u00efck Guitteny","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/25496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
How to propagate aeonium<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/RBD110722-154_2_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
How to care for aeonium<\/h2>
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How to grow aeonium<\/h3>
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How to water aeonium<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_072_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Growing aeonium from seed<\/h3>
Aeonium pests and diseases<\/h3>
The best aeonium to grow<\/h2>
Aeonium arboreum<\/em>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Aeonium<\/em><\/strong> \u2018Zwartkop\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/RBD110722-154_2_preview-edited-1-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Superbang\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_118_2_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Bronze Teacup\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"Aeonium](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_121_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em><\/strong> \u2018Mardi Gras\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Medusa\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_082_preview-1-edited-1-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Torchbearer\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_088_preview-edited-2-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium leucoblepharum\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_079_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Starburst\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Marnier-Lapostolle\u2019<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_108_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium<\/em> \u2018Kiwi\u2019\u00a0<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_077_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium arboreum <\/em>\u2018Atropurpureum\u2019<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_055_preview-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Aeonium nobile\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/ag_2306_085_preview-1-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Where to buy aeonium<\/h2>
Where to see aeonium<\/h2>
Guide to aeonium<\/h3>
![\"Aeonium](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/08\/RBD110722-154_2_preview-scaled.jpg\")
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