With over 35 different varieties, Aeoniums are best known for their beautiful rosette shapes. Aeoniums are compact and take a long time to grow fully, and their fleshy leaves grow in a circular formation around a singular stem. Like Echeveria and Sempervivum, Aeonium leaves are thick, waxy, and make a recognizable yet beautiful succulent choice for your home.
Like most succulents, Aeoniums are pretty hardy and can thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments given the proper care and conditions. To learn more about how you can make your Aeonium thrive, read on:
General Care
Aeonium makes for great perennial garden plants in warmer climates, but you can also grow them outdoors in a pot and move them inside during colder seasons. However, you can keep them almost anywhere indoors as well. With a long growing period and shallow root system, Aeonium are compact and great for any small home or apartment.
1. Lighting
Aeonium succulents prefer full sun or partial shade-- they look and feel best right by your window! Like most succulents, you can keep your aeonium in full sun in colder climates, but for bright and potentially desert-like environments, place your pot away from the window to get a steady flow of indirect light.
2. Soil
Loamy soil with lots of drainage will help keep your Aeonium’s roots from rotting. You can use a traditional succulent soil mix with added perlite or mix your own succulent soil using an organic ingredient like peat moss or compost and an inorganic ingredient like gravel or perlite. Typically, Aeonium plants prefer soil mixtures with sand or perlite.
3. Water
Unlike most succulents, Aeonium prefers slightly wetter conditions. To avoid overwatering, water your succulent whenever the top inch of soil is dry. Your watering schedule may change depending on the season, so if you have trouble keeping track of when to water your succulents, consider using a moisture meter to help.
Even though Aeonium prefers more humid conditions, it is best to avoid misting your Aeonium plant unless you are propagating a cutting. The small spaces in between the leaves and stem on a fully-formed Aeonium will collect water from misting and provide the perfect ecosystem for mold and mildew growth on the leaves.
4. Temperature and Humidity
Aeonium works best in Mediterranean climates-- temperate, but not too humid. For the home, a stable 65-75 degrees works best. When caring for Aeonium outside, you can encourage growth in arid climates by keeping your succulents in the shade. During especially hot summers, your Aeonium may go dormant due to high heat since their growing season is primarily in the winter and spring.
Aeonium works best in Mediterranean climates-- temperate, but not too humid.
6. Fertilizer
You don’t necessarily need to fertilize your Aeonium for them to grow, but it’s always good to give your babies a little extra nutrients during the growing season! A liquid succulent fertilizer distilled in a one-to-one mixture with water. Use one drop of fertilizer per gallon of soil for best results.
Potting and Repotting
When potting or repotting your aeonium, it is best to do so right before the growing season, so your succulents have plenty of room to grow. If you’ve just received your Aeonium, transfer it from its plastic pot to a terracotta pot as soon as possible.
When potting or repotting your aeonium, it is best to do so right before the growing season.
Before transferring your plant to a new pot, make sure the pot is at least 10% larger than its original pot to give your succulent plenty of space to grow. When repotting, be sure to replace your soil mixture to keep things fresh and check for any signs of root rot or unhealthy growth.
Propagation
It’s natural for leaves to fall off your Aeonium every so often as it grows. To propagate a new plant, take one of these fallen leaves and let it air dry for a brief period before transferring it to a new, empty pot with potting soil. Let the leaf rest lightly on the top of your soil mixture and mist occasionally to water the leaf and keep the soil moist. Mist regularly until roots begin to form at the base of the leaf. Once you see some roots, cover them in a little bit of soil and place the sprout in indirect sunlight as it grows.
You can propagate Aeonium using their leaves.
Pruning
You won’t need to prune Aeoniums for size since they’re already such compact succulents. However, it is best to prune off any irregular growth, aerial roots, or dead leaves when you see them. To prune, use clean, sharp scissors to cut off any undesirable leaves as close to the stem as possible. When pruning roots, be sure to let them air out before repotting your succulent.
You won’t need to prune Aeoniums for size since they’re already such compact succulents.
Common Pests and Diseases
Like all succulents, Aeonium are vulnerable to a number of common pests, including mealybugs, spider mites, aphids, and scale. However, their preference for a moist environment may also lead to an increased risk of root rot, mold growth, or mildew due to overwatering.
Toxicity
Aeonium succulents are not toxic to birds, cats, dogs, horses, livestock, or humans, but that doesn’t mean they want to be eaten! For the best growth results and for a happy, healthy succulent, keep your Aeonium away from animals and children.
Happy gardening!
See more about How to Care for String of Turtles
For Types of Succulents Careguide. Read more information here.
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