Top 5 'spikeys'

[Terry S.]

I have a trough containing mainly Crassulaceae that is kept outside in the summer and in a cold frame overwinter. I find that if I use Aeonium 'Swartkop' in it, it always dies quite quickly of the cold whereas the various Mexican echeverias and graptopetalums come through most winters except the very coldest. And yet you see the aeonium being sold in garden centres as a hardy succulent.

[Jim_Mercer]

For a magazine sold to the general public, it was probably best to stick to fairly dull plants that are grown in Holland in huge numbers and fairly easy to find at garden centres, DIY shops etc in the UK. Hopefully the info was correct but I don't expect the BCSS got a mention!

Stuart

The info seems reasonable given it is very general, the only statement that appears wrong to me is "some cacti produce flowers"

No mention of BCSS and suppliers list just four website/phone numbers missing Southfield.

[JaneO]

I agree wholeheartedly with Terry. I keep various Aeoniums outside all summer and they thrive but bring into conservatory over winter. I tried leaving one planted out once. Dead as soon as it got cold. Garden Centres commit various sins as regards labelling but writing 'hardy' is very annoying. I took the trouble to talk to the Manager at Wyevale here but she did nothing to change their system. The attitude of 'when it dies, replace it' works for them!
Jane

[Liz M]

Aeoniums will only survive outside in parts of the UK where the climate is mild in winter, so that is the Scilly Isles, you should see the Aeoniums there, and some parts of Devon and Cornwall.
I keep all my Aeoniums in the heated greenhouse over winter. I keep them next to the house wall, as it is a leanto greenhouse, and keep them damp. I have been doing this for some years now and they thrive in these conditions, taking off well in spring, when it warms up. I have kept Aichrysons and the odd Aeonium in a coldframe over winter, so they stayed dry. I suspect we could be having a colder winter than usual this year, so I might bring them into the greenhouse. Some Echeverias will survive outside, as long as they are dry, in my case Echeverias secunda, elegans and 'Imbricata'. I keep Crassula sarcocaulis, in pots by the house wall, I have kept it in my rockery but the cold winters 2010/11 saw them off, so I stopped doing that.