Aeonium haworthii
| Light | Bright light to full sun (with some afternoon shade in hot climates); grows actively in the cool season |
|---|---|
| Water | Regularly while in growth; keep drier during summer dormancy |
| Soil | Free-draining succulent mix with plenty of grit (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Frost-tender; USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Stem cuttings (very easy); also seed |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Aeonium haworthii is a densely branching succulent shrub that forms a rounded, many-headed mound of small rosettes. Each rosette is only a few centimetres across, made up of tightly packed blue-green leaves neatly outlined with a thin reddish margin — a tidy, pinwheel-like arrangement that gives it the common name pinwheel aeonium. Native to the Canary Islands, it is one of the most forgiving and beginner-friendly members of the genus Aeonium.
Description
Aeonium haworthii is a much-branched, shrubby succulent that typically grows into a rounded bush 30–60 cm tall and at least as wide. Unlike the tall single-stemmed aeoniums, it branches freely and low, so that a mature plant carries dozens of small rosettes crowded together into a dense dome.
Each rosette is 5–8 cm across and composed of fleshy, blue-green to grey-green leaves that are finely edged in red — the colour deepening in bright light. The slender, woody stems are often adorned with fine aerial roots. In spring the plant may produce clusters of pale creamy-yellow, sometimes pinkish-tinged flowers on short branched stalks. Like all aeoniums it is monocarpic at the rosette level, meaning any individual rosette dies after flowering; because the plant is so heavily branched, however, the loss of one flowering head barely disfigures the shrub as a whole.
Distribution and habitat
The species is endemic to the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where it grows in sunny, rocky places — cliffs, scarps and piedmonts from near the coast up to the margins of the laurel forest — and readily colonises walls and other built surfaces. Its native climate is mild and subtropical, with cool, damp winters and warm, dry summers — the pattern that governs its growth cycle in cultivation, with active growth in the cooler months and a summer rest.
Cultivation
Aeonium haworthii is among the easiest aeoniums to grow and an excellent choice for beginners. Give it bright light to full sun; in very hot regions a little afternoon shade keeps the foliage from scorching, while good light keeps the rosettes compact and brings out the red leaf edges. Plant in a free-draining succulent mix with plenty of grit or pumice.
Follow the natural rhythm when watering: water regularly while the plant is in active growth through the cooler months, letting the top of the mix dry between drinks, and ease off in summer when the plant rests. Overwatering during hot, dormant weather is the main cause of rot. It is frost-tender, so bring it under cover or indoors where winters drop below freezing. In frost-free, Mediterranean-type climates it thrives outdoors year-round and makes a fine low hedge or rockery plant. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Propagation could hardly be easier. Stem cuttings root readily: take a branch or rosette, let the cut end callus for a day or two, then insert it into gritty, barely moist mix and roots will follow quickly. Established plants can be lifted and divided, and the species also comes true from seed. See Propagation — cuttings for a full walkthrough.
Cultivars
Several variegated selections are grown, most notably Aeonium haworthii 'Variegata' (also sold as Kiwi or Dream Colour), whose leaves are marked in cream, green and rosy-pink. Variegated forms carry less chlorophyll and so appreciate good light to hold their colour, though the brightest sun can still scorch the pale tissue.
Common problems
- Rot — usually from watering during the summer rest or from a mix that drains too slowly; stems soften and blacken.
- Etiolation — too little light stretches the stems and loosens the rosettes, and the red leaf margins fade.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the leaf axils and among the roots) and aphids on the flower stalks are the usual visitors. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Aeonium — the genus overview
- Propagation — cuttings · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting