How to grow and care for Aeonium arboreum

   

Description

Among the succulents family, Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ (Black Rose) is one of the most striking plants. If you have decided to bring this beautiful plant in your house, you need to learn some tips to ensure you take good care of your lovely succulent. Lucky for you, we are providing you with a guide that will help you understand all the essential caring measures for Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ (Black Rose).

How to grow Aeonium arboreum

Grow aeoniums in pots in a sunny position outside, or in a bright spot indoors. Aeoniums store water in their leaves and stems and need very little watering. In spring and autumn, water the plant thoroughly, then allow the compost to dry out before watering again – this mimics downpours in their natural habitats. Water more sparingly in summer and winter. Bring plants indoors in autumn to protect them from frost.

How to care for Aeonium arboreum

When it comes to caring for Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop,’ these succulents need plenty of light to grow healthy. This is the reason these chubby succulents do well outdoors, regardless of the freezing temperatures. Furthermore, you can also grow Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ indoors, but you need to follow the required indoor growing requirements.

If you are growing them indoors, make sure to provide the plant plenty of light; keep the pot near the brightest window. Moreover, do not overwater them when growing indoors and plant them in well-draining soil. Check the outdoor growing requirements for Aeonium Arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ in the next section.

Light
As with most succulents, aeonium plants will grow best in full or partial sunlight. In hot summers and desert conditions, light shade may be necessary, especially during the hotter afternoon hours. If you're growing the plant indoors, place them in a window that gets bright, indirect light for at least six to eight hours a day. If you begin to notice white or brown marks on the tips of their leaves, that's a good sign that your aeonium plants are getting too much direct light and should be relocated.

Soil
Whether you're growing your succulents indoors or outdoors, you should look to plant them in sandy loam or a regular potting mix that has been amended with perlite. Avoid placing them in a mixture that's designated for succulents and cacti, since aeoniums need more moisture than this combination typically provides. If you're looking to grow your aeonium plants in a traditional garden bed that has dense soil, you should amend the mixture with peat moss to improve its porosity.

Water
When planted outdoors, aeonium plants should get all the water they need from rainfall. Indoors, you should allow the soil to dry out to at least an inch or two before soaking at the base of the plant. When grown outdoors, the plant will typically go dormant in the peak of summer and winter, during which time you can restrict watering significantly, only providing moisture when you notice the leaves beginning to shrivel. Though these plants do like more moisture than many other succulents, too much moisture or allowing them to sit in wet soil will cause root rot.1

Temperature and Humidity
These plants prefer a Mediterranean-like climate—not too hot, not too cold, and not too dry. Most aeonium varieties are only hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11 which means, in many places, they will primarily be grown indoors. Growing aeoniums in moist and shaded soil will keep them growing in high heat, but their true growth season is late winter through spring, when temperatures are cool (65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit) and damp.

Fertilizer
For the best results, you can feed your aeonium plants during their growing season with a half-strength balanced fertilizer. The frequency with which you fertilize your aeoniums will depend on their maturity and the nutritional density of your soil—young plants may benefit from monthly applications, while older plants can thrive off of a single feeding in the spring. Always fertilize the plants at soil level and avoid getting too much on their leaves. Do not feed while they're dormant.