Aeonium 'Mardi Gras'
Aeonium 'Mardi Gras is a strikingly variegated cultivar of the rosette-forming succulent genus Aeonium, prized for foliage splashed and streaked in green, buttery yellow and rose-red. As the season and light intensity shift, the warm tones deepen and spread, giving each rosette a festive, carnival-coloured patchwork that has earned the plant its name.
Because 'Mardi Gras' is a cultivated selection rather than a species, it carries no formal habitat of its own; its care follows that of the broader Aeonium genus and its shrubby arboreum-type relatives.
Description
'Mardi Gras' produces the flat, tightly packed rosettes typical of shrubby aeoniums, borne on branching, somewhat woody stems that lengthen with age. The distinguishing feature is its variegation: individual leaves combine a green centre with broad margins of cream to yellow, frequently flushed rose-pink to red — most vividly where the rosette catches bright light. Colour intensity is not fixed but shifts with the seasons, sun exposure and temperature, so a single plant can look markedly different from spring to autumn.
Like other aeoniums, it is winter- and spring-growing, tending to slow down or drop lower leaves and close its rosettes during hot, dry summer dormancy. This is normal behaviour and not a sign of ill health.
Cultivation
Care for 'Mardi Gras' as for the parent genus; see Aeonium for the full picture. In brief, grow it in a free-draining but not purely mineral mix (aeoniums appreciate a little more organic matter and moisture than desert cacti), and water when the top of the soil has dried during the active winter-to-spring growing season. Ease off through summer dormancy, giving only occasional sips to keep the roots from shrivelling. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Being variegated, 'Mardi Gras' needs generous bright light to develop and hold its yellow and red tones — too little, and the rosettes green up and stretch. At the same time, the pale, low-chlorophyll areas of the leaves are prone to scorching, so shield the plant from the fiercest direct summer sun. A bright position with gentle protection at midday strikes the best balance. Unusually for a variegate, 'Mardi Gras' is a stable selection that seldom reverts; should an all-green shoot appear, remove it, since fully green growth is more vigorous and could in time crowd out the colourful growth.
Cultivation notes
- Colour management — cooler temperatures and strong (but not harsh) light bring out the richest reds and yellows; shade and warmth push the plant back toward green.
- Reversion — 'Mardi Gras' holds its variegation well and rarely reverts; on the uncommon occasion a fully green rosette or branch appears, prune it out to preserve the variegated character.
- Frost — like most aeoniums, keep it above freezing; it is not cold-hardy.
Propagation
Propagate vegetatively to keep the variegation true, as seed-grown plants will not come out identical. Stem cuttings and rosette cuttings root readily during the growing season — see Propagation — cuttings and Propagation — offsets. Take material that carries a good balance of colour rather than all-pale tissue, so the resulting plant remains both variegated and vigorous. Note that 'Mardi Gras' is a patented cultivar (U.S. Plant Patent 21,407); unlicensed vegetative propagation for sale or distribution is restricted while the patent remains in force.
See also
- Aeonium — the genus overview
- Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — offsets · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting