waxy rosettes

by Beverly Curry
(Banning, Ca.)

The plant is about 4 inches high. Puts me in mind of an echeveria, although the rosettes are on stems as opposed to being stemless.



Drought Smart Plants reply:
Hi Beverly, these are indeed related to Echeveria (distantly) - the Aeonium are native to Tenerife, and the Canary Islands, which have a very similar climate to California, so it's no surprise that they love living in Banning!

This one is Aeonium haworthia 'Kiwi', and watching it change from plain old green in the winter to all kinds of lovely pastel shades of lemon, banana and peach for the summer.

For care, they prefer warm and bright conditions, but I feel they like a little more shade from intensely bright afternoon sun.

They have a characteristic of going dormant through the really hot months, so don't be surprised if they stop growing through July and August, to pick up again as it cools off.

This seems to be related to hot night temperatures, and has evolved to protect them in the times of the year that might be otherwise really challenging.

They are really easy to care for, and if you want more, simply remove the top rosettes and re-root them, and more rosettes will emerge from the stems.

They can in time get a little gangly and long, so a haircut periodically can keep them looking great.

Kiwi doesn't seem too interested in blooming, which is a good thing - the rosette that blooms will then die, as these plants are 'monocarpic' or once blooming.

Enjoy your lovely plant!
Jacki


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