Aeonium
Aeonium | |
---|---|
Saucer-plant (Aeonium undulatum) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Saxifragales |
Family: | Crassulaceae |
Subfamily: | Sempervivoideae |
Tribe: | Aeonieae |
Genus: | Aeonium Webb & Berthel. |
Species | |
About 35, see text |
Aeonium, the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek αἰώνιος / aiōnios (ageless).[1] While most of them are native to the Canary Islands, some are found in Madeira, Cape Verde, Morocco, in East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) and Yemen.
Description[edit]
The succulent leaves are typically arranged on a basal stem, in a dense, spreading rosette. A feature which distinguishes this genus from many of its relatives is the manner in which the flowers bear free petals, and are divided into 6 or 12 sections. Each rosette produces a central inflorescence only once, and then dies back (though it will usually branch or offset to produce ensuing rosettes).
Low-growing Aeonium species are A. tabuliforme and A. smithii; large species include A. arboreum and A. valverdense. They are related to the genera Sempervivum, Aichryson and Monanthes, as can be seen by their similar flower and inflorescences. Recently,[when?] the genus Greenovia has been placed within Aeonium.[citation needed]
Species and distribution[edit]
All but two species are native to at least one of three different Macaronesian archipelagos (the Canary Islands, Madeira, or Cape Verde) Most aeoniums are from the Canary Islands,[2][3] The only species not native to these three Macaronesian island groups (Aeonium stuessyi and Aeonium leucoblepharum) are found in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania; and Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Yemen, respectively. Aeonium arboreum is native to both the Canary Islands and Morocco.
Species | Distribution | |
---|---|---|
Aeonium glandulosum (Aiton) Webb & Berthel. | Maderia (Madeira, Desertas, Porto Santo) | |
Aeonium glutinosum (Aiton) Webb & Berthel. | Madeira (Madeira, Desertas) | |
Aeonium arboreum (L.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro);
Morocco |
|
Aeonium appendiculatum Bañares | Canary Islands (La Gomera) | |
Aeonium aizoon (Bolle) T.H.M.Mes | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium aureum (C.Sm. ex Hornem.) T.H.M.Mes | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife) | |
Aeonium balsamiferum Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Lanzarote, Fuerteventura) | |
Aeonium canariense (L.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife; La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro) | |
Aeonium castellopaivae Bolle | Canary Islands (La Gomera) | |
Aeonium ciliatum (Willd.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium cuneatum Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium davidbramwelii H.Y.Liu | Canary Islands (La Palma) | |
Aeonium decorum Webb ex Bolle | Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera) | |
Aeonium diplocyclum (Webb ex Bolle) T.H.M.Mes | Canary Islands (La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro) | |
Aeonium dodrantale (Willd.) T.H.M.Mes | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium goochiae (Christ.) Praeger | Canary Islands (La Palma) | |
Aeonium gomerense (Praeger) Praeger | Canary Islands (La Gomera) | |
Aeonium haworthii (Salm-Dyck ex Webb & Berthel.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium hierrense (R. P. Murray) Pit. & Proust. | Canary Islands (La Palma, El Hierro) | |
Aeonium lancerottense (Praeger) Praeger | Canary Islands (Lanzarote) | |
Aeonium lindleyi Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium nobile (Praeger) Praeger | Canary Islands (La Palma) | |
Aeonium percarneum (R. P. Murray) Pit. & Proust. | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) | |
Aeonium pseudourbicum Bañares | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium saundersii Bolle | Canary Islands (La Gomera) | |
Aeonium sedifolium (Webb ex Bolle) Pit. & Proust. | Canary Islands (Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma)) | |
Aeonium simsii (Sweet) Stearn. | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) | |
Aeonium smithii (Sims) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium spathulatum (Hornem.) Praeger | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria, Tenerife; La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro) | |
Aeonium tabuliforme (Haw.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium undulatum Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Gran Canaria) | |
Aeonium urbicum (C. Sm. ex Hornem.) Webb & Berthel. | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium valverdense (Praeger) Praeger | Canary Islands (El Hierro) | |
Aeonium volkerii Hernández & Bañares | Canary Islands (Tenerife) | |
Aeonium gorgoneum J. A. Schmidt | Cabo Verde (Santo Antão, São Nicolau, São Vicente) | |
Aeonium stuessyi H.-Y. Liu | Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania | |
Aeonium leucoblepharum Webb ex A. Richard | Yemen, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda |
Hybrids[edit]
Much hybridising has been done, resulting in several cultivars of mixed or unknown parentage. The following species and cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit:-
Hybridising between Aeonium species or cultivars and other Crassulaeceae species or cultivars has produced intergeneric crosses:
- x Semponium 'Sienna' (Sempervivum ‘Green Ice’ x Aeonium ‘Ice Warrior’).[10]
- x Semponium 'Destiny' - winner of the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show 'Chelsea Plant of the Year 2022' award.[11]
Some species have been introduced in California.[12]
UK national collections of aeoniums are held by Mellie Lewis at Clun in Shropshire[13] and by Inverewe at Poolewe, Wester Ross in Scotland.[14]
Selected species[edit]
- Aeonium aizoon
- Aeonium appendiculatum
- Aeonium arboreum
- Aeonium aureum
- Aeonium balsamiferum
- Aeonium canariense
- Aeonium castello-paivae
- Aeonium ciliatum
- Aeonium cuneatum
- Aeonium davidbramwellii
- Aeonium decorum
- Aeonium glandulosum
- Aeonium glutinosum
- Aeonium gomerense
- Aeonium gorgoneum
- Aeonium goochiae
- Aeonium haworthii
- Aeonium hierrense
- Aeonium leucoblepharum
- Aeonium lindleyi
- Aeonium nobile
- Aeonium sedifolium
- Aeonium simsii
- Aeonium smithii
- Aeonium spathulatum
- Aeonium tabuliforme
- Aeonium undulatum – saucer plant
- Aeonium urbicum
- Aeonium valverdense
Images[edit]
Aeonium tabuliforme bearing inflorescence
References[edit]


- ^ Eggli, U.; Newton, L.E. (2004). Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 3. ISBN 978-3-540-00489-9. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ Bramwell, D.; Bramwell, Z. (2001). Wild flowers of the Canary Islands. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Rueda. ISBN 84-7207-129-4.
- ^ "International Crassulaceae Network: Aeonium". International Crassulaceae Network. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- ^ "Aeonium tabuliforme". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Aeonium haworthii". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Aeonium haworthii 'Variegatum'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Aeonium 'Blushing Beauty'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Aeonium 'Sunburst'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Aeonium 'Zwartkop'". RHS. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
- ^ "Graham Rice's new plants blog: Super succulent is Chelsea Plant of the Year star / RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "The RHS Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year / RHS Gardening". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "Aeonium in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
- ^ "Join Plant Heritage | Conserving the diversity of garden plants". www.plantheritage.org.uk.
- ^ Scotland, National Trust for (April 22, 2022). "A glimpse into plant evolution through…". National Trust for Scotland.
- R. Nyffeler, "Aeonium", in Urs Eggli, ed. Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae (Springer, 2003) ISBN 3-540-41965-9
- M. Cristini, "The Genus Aeonium" (Rome, 2022) ISBN 978-88-901345-6-2