Aeonium arboreum 'Tip Top'
houseleek tree 'Tip Top'
A frost-tender, evergreen sub-shrub making a compact mound of closely-packed leaf rosettes. The succulent leaves are are green at the centre of the rosette, darkening through burgundy to almost black at the edge of the rosette. Domed clusters of small, starry yellow flowers are sometimes produced in summer. A good patio pot plant but will require winter protection in all but the mildest of areas
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green Black Red | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green Black Red | |||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter | Green Black Red |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
ShelteredDrought resistance
Yes Hardiness
H2Botanical details
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Genus
Aeonium are evergreen succulents often of shrubby habit, with fleshy leaves in terminal rosettes on the shoots, and racemes or panicles of small, star-shaped flowers with numerous narrow petals
- Name status
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in pots of peat-free, loam-based compost with added extra grit. Water moderately when in growth, not at all when dormant. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser 2 or 3 times during the growing season. In winter move plants to a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further information
Propagation
Propagate by rosette cuttings
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Houseplants
- Mediterranean climate plants
- Patio and container plants
- Rock garden
- Sub-tropical
- Conservatory and greenhouse
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, vine weevil grubs and mealybugs
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.