Scientific Name
Aeonium cuneatum Webb & Berthel.
Synonym(s)
Sempervivum cuneatum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sempervivoideae
Tribe: Aeonieae
Genus: Aeonium
Description
Aeonium cuneatum is a succulent plant that forms large, stemless rosettes of smooth, green leaves with a grayish coating on the upper surface, which is easily rubbed off. The rosettes are cup-shaped and can reach up to 20 inches (50 cm) in diameter. They grow solitary or sometimes produce offsets, making a large group of rosettes across the ground. The leaves are spoon-shaped with a pointed tip and conical cilia along the margins and measure up to 10 inches (25 cm) long and 0.35 inches (0.9 cm) wide.
The flowers are star-shaped with 8 to 9 yellow petals and appear in large pyramidal clusters on an erect, up to 20 inches (50 cm) tall stalk in late winter and spring. They are more open than the flowers of some other Aeonium species.
Origin
Aeonium cuneatum is native to the Canary Islands. It grows in laurel forests in eastern and western Tenerife at elevations that range from 1,640 to 3,150 feet (500 to 960 m).
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Aeoniums do not like hot or dry weather. Therefore, they may go dormant in summer and do not require any water except in very dry conditions. In extreme heat, their leaves will curl to prevent excessive water loss. Growing them in moist shade will keep them growing, but their true growth season is winter to spring when temperatures are cool (65 to 75 °F / 18 to 24 °C) and damp. In the winter, water whenever the soil has dried out. Test by poking your finger down into the soil an inch or two. Too much moisture or allowing them to sit in wet soil will cause root rot.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Aeonium.
Propagate Aeoniums by stem cuttings, except for unbranched species, which die after flowering and are propagated from seed. Take cuttings when the plant is actively growing, usually fall in USDA zones 9 through 11. Aeoniums go dormant in summer; cuttings taken while plants are dormant don't root. Each leaf rosette dies after it blooms.
See more at How to Propagate Aeonium.
Links
- Back to genus Aeonium
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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