Aeonium ciliatum - Tree Houseleek

Aeonium ciliatum - Rose Succulent

Aeonium is a genus of succulent plants containing several different species (approximately 35-40 species), belonging to the stonecrop family (Latin: Crassulaceae). These species grow naturally in Madeira, the Canary Islands, and Africa. One species can also be found on the European continent in Portugal - Aeonium arboreum.

Aeonium ciliatum - Rose Succulent - is a succulent originating from the Canary Islands, specifically from the island of Tenerife. Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean near Africa. Due to the fact that these islands were never connected to the mainland, they have different fauna and flora compared to the neighboring continent - Africa. Many endemic species (permanently occurring only in one place) have developed here. The island is home to Spain's highest mountain, Pico de Teide, with an elevation of 3,718 meters above sea level.

Aeonium ciliatum - Rose Succulent - is a succulent plant from the Aeonium genus. It forms ground rosettes of various sizes and shapes. The leaves of the Rose Succulent are spatulate, ciliate, pointed at the edges, dark green to bluish. The coloration of the entire plant depends on sun exposure, ranging from yellow-green to green. It can be grown on a windowsill, as well as in ornamental beds or rock gardens. It can grow to an impressive height of 1 meter, but usually reaches around 50 cm. It prefers partial shade.

It can be shaped into bonsai or planted in various interesting arrangements.

For growing these succulent plants, clay dishes are more suitable than plastic pots.

How to Grow Aeonium

We sow Aeonium in March. Prepare shallow dishes (they are more suitable than deep pots. Even later, when the plant grows, it's advisable to keep it in lower dishes for stability) with a mixture of substrate for sowing succulents or generally for sowing plants and, for example, river sand or grit. It is advisable to sterilize this mixture in advance in a microwave oven. Insert the Aeonium seeds and place them on a sunny windowsill indoors. We can cover them with a canopy made from a cut plastic bottle, or we can use a mini greenhouse for germination. Water with boiled, lukewarm water.

If you grow Aeonium as houseplants, it's advisable to place them in a sunny location, on the south side of your home, by a window. During warm summer months, move them slightly away so they don't get direct midday sun. They can be in partial shade. The ideal temperature for growing Aeonium is around 20°C. Water the plant carefully, into the dish or pot, not directly onto the plant, to prevent water from getting into the center of the rosette, which could start to rot. Aeonium should be repotted in spring. Choose a stable pot or dish.

Use substrate for succulents and cacti. If you mix the substrate yourself, add river sand to the soil. This will make the soil lighter and more permeable. Don't forget the drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. Use expanded clay or pebbles. After repotting Aeonium, don't water for at least 2 weeks. The plant needs to heal the small wounds that occurred on the roots during handling. Watch out for mold on the plant. During summer, let the plant enjoy fresh air. In winter, Aeoniums thrive at temperatures around 10-15°C. Just like with cacti, reduce watering to a minimum to prevent root rot.

Aeonium should not grow during winter months, so don't unnecessarily encourage it.

This succulent flowers very often. The flowers last from March to June. They have 8-10 petals and are yellow in color.

Aeonium spathulatum

The picture shows Aeonium spathulatum - this is a succulent shrub that is richly branched. In the wild, it grows as an endemic species in the Canary Islands - Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. It reaches a height of 20-60 cm depending on the chosen location. It thrives on rocky substrate and can attach itself to walls and roofs of houses. It is commonly grown as a houseplant - a succulent. It looks like an interesting bonsai. The leaves are obovate-lanceolate, sticky, often with red stripes on the underside.

Aeonium tabuliforme

Aeonium tabuliforme - this is a biennial to perennial succulent plant. The name of this plant translates to flat, table-like. The plant is a succulent that has practically no stem and is pressed to the ground. It reaches a height of 30-60 cm. The leaves are arranged in a roof-tile pattern in a basal rosette. The rosette is up to 30 cm wide. The leaves are diamond-shaped at the top, narrowing towards the edge. Aeonium flowers from May to August, the plant is self-pollinating, the flowers are light yellow. Flowers drain the plant's energy, so if you don't insist on seeds, gradually remove the flowers to preserve the green mound of the plant in the flowerbed.

Other well-known Aeonium species include - Aeonium arboreum, Aeonium aureum, Aeonium castello-paivae, Aeonium decorum, Aeonium lindleyi, Aeonium nobile, Aeonium simsii, Aeonium tabuliforme, Aeonium undulatum, Aeonium valverdense

For lovers of succulents and succulent rock gardens, Aeonium is an ideal plant. It meets aesthetic requirements, is sufficiently exotic and unusual, and is easy to grow.

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