Aeonium DECORUM

Aeonium DECORUM - Copper pinwheel, Aeonium decorum.

Aeonium is a large genus of succulents developing as compact shrubs or herbaceous crops. The genus includes about 40 perennial, highly ornamental house plants in the family Crassulaceae. These are truly long-lived plants that are brought into room interiors for decades. As with all succulents, Aeonium is characterized by fleshy, water-storing leaves and shoots. The stems are sturdy, upright, branching or solitary, gradually lignifying and sporting marks from fallen old leaves resembling scars. In some species of Aeonium, dramatic aerial roots are formed. The height of these plants ranges from a modest 10-15 cm (4-6 in) to nearly 1 m (3.3 ft). At the same time, in different species, stems can either be pronounced, resembling woody plants, or almost completely concealed beneath low-growing leaf rosettes.

The fleshy leaves are always sessile, tapering toward the base, resembling petals or rhombuses in shape. Sparse pubescence or an entirely glossy surface combines with margins decorated with fine white cilia or small teeth. The leaves assemble into very dense, flower-like rosettes, arranged imbricately in patterned fashion. Rosettes range in diameter from a few centimeters to almost 1 m (3.3 ft), but are always located at the ends of stems. Leaf coloration varies from ordinary light green to various reddish, brownish, and purple shades, most often distributed unevenly across the leaf blade. Under indoor conditions, Aeonium blooms very rarely. Pyramidal racemes of bright yellow inflorescences are very dramatic and last a long time. But the lack of flowering also has an advantage. Species that form a single leaf rosette usually die after flowering.

Aeonium decorum is a profusely branching shrub up to 50 cm (20 in) in height. Stems are rough, with rhomboid leaf scars and more or less densely spaced hard white outgrowths (protuberances) on the upper part of young shoots. The leaves are in a loose rosette, green, smooth, glossy with a pinkish tint, 2.5-3 cm (1.0-1.2 in) long, 1-1.5 cm (0.4-0.6 in) wide. The inflorescence is terminal. The peduncle is 30-45 cm (12-18 in) long, pale pink. Flowers are 6-8-merous, pinkish-white.

By seeds year-round in a sandy substrate. Seeds are sown on the surface, moistened with a spray bottle, covered with film, and germinated in light at a temperature of 20-25 °C (68-77 °F). Seedlings require ventilation. It is essential to avoid overwatering and drying out of the sowings.

Special notes: Seeds are small!

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In winter, cool maintenance is desirable. With low air humidity, the plant can withstand a fairly significant drop in temperature. The rest of the time, normal room temperature is required. The plants require a sunny location all year round, needing shade only from the brightest sun rays. In winter, they should be kept in a very brightly lit spot, which helps maintain leaf coloration.

During growth, watering is performed as the soil dries out. During the winter dormant period, watering intensity is reduced. Stagnation of water, which should be avoided even in summer, is even more dangerous during the cold season, as it can cause rot and lead to plant death. In spring and autumn, cactus fertilizer is applied once every 2 weeks. Repotting is carried out in spring or autumn once every 2 years. Soil consisting of 1/3 peat, 1/3 fertile loam, and 1/3 sand with a pH around 6.5 is used. Damaged parts and faded inflorescences must be removed.