The juiciest succulents
They add exotic glamour to any garden and are surprisingly simple to grow...
THERE’S a succulent in my back garden that reminds me of a fantastic family holiday spent in the Isles of Scilly in the early Noughties, when my now teenage son was a toddler. The plant in question is Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’, a handsome specimen with big rosettes of near-black, glossy leaves.
These days many gardeners will be familiar with this tender beauty, but in the past it was rarely seen. In fact, the first time I became aware of the plant was on my aforementioned summer sojourn.
I saw them thriving in private gardens on the island of St Mary’s, where we were staying, and in the magnificent Abbey Gardens on nearby Tresco. In fact, there were scores of different aeoniums in the ground, in pots and even growing out of cracks in walls.
Excited by this unfamiliar group of plants, I returned home with some samples. A few years later and I had more than 40 different ones, including some that were incredibly rare. This group of perennial succulents are ideal for adding an exotic touch to patio pots, from late spring until early autumn. Move them before the first frosts and they’ll continue to provide interest indoors all winter long.
Native mainly to the Canary Islands, aeoniums can be found in a wide range of habitats. On our shores they can cope with temperatures down to 10C for short periods. The only reason they can be grown outdoors all year round on the Isles of Scilly is that the islands have particularly mild winters.
According to the latest edition of the RHS Plant Finder guide, more than 50 different aeoniums are available in Britain. Some are large, multi-branched shrubs, while others make a single rosette as flat as a pancake. A number have rosettes as large as dinner plates, while others produce rosettes the size of a thumbnail.
Foliage comes in shades of purple, bronze, blue and green, with leaves that are often speckled, striped or attractively variegated, with splashes of yellow, red and white. All produce spikes of yellow, white or pink-tinged flowers, although these are less visually arresting than the foliage.
For those wanting something dark and dramatic, you can’t beat Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’ or reddish-purple A. ‘Voodoo’, which has rosettes up to 1ft across. ‘Cyclops’ is darker, with a green ‘eye’ in the centre.
Among the best variegated types are A. leucoblepharum, with green leaves marked with brown stripes, and A. arboreum ‘Variegatum’, whose large green rosettes have yellow margins.
‘Sunburst’ is a desirable variety with yellow, red and green rosettes that stand on branches up to 18in tall. The most unusual aeonium is probably A. tabuliforme. It forms flattened rosettes of tightly packed lime-green leaves that can eventually grow to the size of a plate.
Aeoniums are best raised in pots filled with gritty, soil-based compost, such as John Innes No 3.
Place them in a sunny, warm spot that’s sheltered from strong winds.
Before the frosts arrive, aeoniums will need to be moved under cover – place in a heated porch, conservatory or light windowsill inside the house. Alternatively, store in a heated greenhouse. Keep on the dry side and pick off lower leaves as they naturally start to shrivel.