BCSS - Forum

I acquired these two small aeoniums recently. I already have a couple of aeoniums, including simsii which is a winter grower. I acquired these two in November and I recently noticed that the leaves on the plant in the lst photo had begun to shrivel so I gave it some water. I watered the other plant at the same time. In the two weeks since then, both plants have put on some growth which is noticeably glossy. I have two questions. Firstly, can anyone identify these plants or are they hybrids? Secondly, are these winter growers or should I hold back on the watering? Since acquiring them I have kept them in the utility room but they might be best with the rest of my collection in the conservatory.

Not sure of names. All Aeoniums are winter growers and I would relocate to conservatory and continue with water unless very cold. I tend to water in the morning as conservatory drops very cold over night. Liz should be able to ID them for you.

I've always treated Aeoniums as summer growers, given normal cactus treatment. The best colour seems to be on plants put outside for the summer and those that I've tried to grow in the winter have had poor spindly green growth. There's a few hundred Aeoniums in the nursery greenhouse, mostly variegates and hybrids which are the ones that sell best, rooted and grown during the spring and summer and now dry until March.

Stuart

Stuart wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 4:50 pm I've always treated Aeoniums as summer growers, given normal cactus treatment. The best colour seems to be on plants put outside for the summer

I also treath them als summer growers. And they do very well.

I have a few .... and the nursery told me to treat aeoniums as winter growers. The ones with coloured leaf edges have become green with new growth and will become true colour as spring appears. Told that this is as it should be.

The Canary Islands are quite far south. I water my Canarian plants the whole year round.

Thanks to you all for your advice. It's looking like continue with the watering and move them into the conservatory (which drops to 3 deg C minimum).

rodsmith wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:55 am Thanks to you all for your advice. It's looking like continue with the watering and move them into the conservatory (which drops to 3 deg C minimum).

I bought my daughter a few too whilst I was at the nursery (because she really loves this type of architectural plant). Her plants sit in the lounge window above the radiator ---- and they are growing like crazy.

You are not that far from AbbeyBrook Nursery at Darley Dale and Brian has a National collection of Aeoniums. Worth a trip out to see what he has but I know he's not open for business again until 26 Jan. I've planned my next visit south around that time. (I used to live on the east side of Stoke and have relatives in Matlock!)

I'm not knowledgeable but have kept a few aeonium for over a decade. Some grow too big so I start again from cuttings. I would say they are summer growers in the UK. Mine grow fast in summer but in winter they don't grow much, even if kept warm. If they do grow its difficult to stop them getting etiolated. Even with slow growth I find the dark purple ones lose their dark colour due to lack of light. I have kept them in a heated outbuilding, greenhouse and polytunnel.

Chez2 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:01 pm I'm not knowledgeable but have kept a few aeonium for over a decade. Some grow too big so I start again from cuttings. I would say they are summer growers in the UK. Mine grow fast in summer but in winter they don't grow much, even if kept warm. If they do grow its difficult to stop them getting etiolated. Even with slow growth I find the dark purple ones lose their dark colour due to lack of light. I have kept them in a heated outbuilding, greenhouse and polytunnel.

Hate to disagree but it is loss or lack of development of the other plant colours like xanthophylls and a higher concentrations of the chlorophylls in new growth because of light which changes the colour from reds browns purples to yellow-green. As the leaf ages the other pigments increase. In Fall colours in tree foliage the decrease in temperature causes chlorophyll to be lost first and the remaining other pigments are thus in higher concentration and the Fall colours "develop", when actually it is the ratio of the pigment concentrations which are responsible for the colour. Some pigments are in higher concentration in the top surface of the leaf rather than the underside resulting in leaves looking a different colour on the top compared to the bottom.