This fine specimen Aeonium arboreum is growing outside in an area sheltered from wind  rain and frost. The variety is Schwarzkopf in honour of the deep purple leaves that look almost black. Others varieties of ‘Tree Aeoniums’ include Atropurpureum a dark red and Variegatum a creamy white with green is an indoor plant nicknamed ‘Youth and Old Age’.

Aeonium arboreum is a bushy perennial with stems crowned by a rosette 6-8″ across. It bears golden flowers in spring on 3 year old stems that then die. It can be grown in a large pot and brought into a conservatory during a hard winter.  Aeonium arboreum need a mineral rich soil so a mix of clay and sand is often used. Keep the plants on the dry side during winter and away from frost. Propagate by removing small rosettes with a piece of stem and potting up in sandy soil. Keep shaded whilst rooting.

They are also sold as houseplants and need a bright airy window sill where they will form a neat compact plant. For the rock garden you may want to try Aeonium haworthii ‘Pinwheel’ which bears rosettes of blueish green with red tinged edges. This grows 2′ high and spreads 3′ with freely branching stems.

 

It is March and my Aeoniums have survived the winter so far but snow is forecast! I left them outside in a home made cold frame to protect from the wet but now I am panicing.