Tree aeonium
Also called Black rose, Irish rose, Houseleek tree.
| Light | full sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Every 30 days in the growing season, every 10 in winter |
| Humidity | low |
| Difficulty | easy |
| Height | Up to 90 cm (35 in) tall |
| Pets | Cats not known, dogs not known |
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control, toxic and non-toxic plants, no entry for Aeonium arboreum.
From the Canary Islands, where the summers are hot and dry and the growing weather is the cool damp winter, which is why this succulent behaves backwards. It grows from autumn to spring and rests through high summer, closing its rosettes up and dropping its lower leaves, and every year somebody throws out a perfectly healthy dormant plant in July. Water it in the cool months and leave it nearly dry in the hot ones. The dark forms, the near black one sold as Zwartkop above all, need full sun to hold their colour and turn plain green without it. Cut off a leggy rosette, dry the cut for a few days and root it, and you have another.
Ailments observed
| Wrinkled or shrivelled leaves | Summer dormancy, which looks like distress and is not. In high summer the rosettes close up and the lower leaves shrivel and drop. That is the plant resting. Water sparingly and wait for autumn. |
|---|---|
| Long bare stems and pale new leaves | Not enough light, so the stems lengthen and the rosettes flatten out. Move it into full sun. Cut the top off a leggy stem, let the cut dry for a few days and root it in gritty compost. |
Filed underPlants that forgive a beginner, Succulents and cacti, Plants for infrequent watering, Plants for a balcony or a small space
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