Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Cactus SucculentConservatory GreenhouseHouseplantsSynonym

Aeonium virgineum

A succulent evergreen subshrub, with short stems tipped with cup-shaped rosettes of broadly spoon-shaped, slightly downy, velvety green leaves that tint red at the tips in sun. Mature rosettes produce spikes of yellow-green flowers in summer; after flowering these die off and are replaced by new offshoots

Synonyms

Sempervivum virgineum
Aeonium virgineum

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
4 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Drought resistance

Yes

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Crassulaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
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: Correct
Plant range: Canary Is

How to grow

Cultivation

Best grown in containers, in a free-draining medium in part shade or bright filtered light. Water moderately when in growth, not at all when dormant, and feed 2 or 3 times during the growing season. Overwinter in a greenhouse, conservatory or indoors. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further information

Propagation

Propagate by stem cuttings, kept at 18°C and barely moist until rooted

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Houseplants
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required, though stems can be tipped during the growing period to promote a bushy habit

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids 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.