What is the difference between Purple Velvet (Aeonium 'Purple Velvet') and Aeonium 'Zwartkop'? Latest comparison analysis

As succulents become more and more popular, more and more people are growing them, and more and more new succulent varieties are being introduced. Many succulent varieties look similar, making them hard to tell apart. For example, the Purple Velvet (Aeonium 'Purple Velvet') and Aeonium 'Zwartkop' we are introducing today are two plants that many people cannot distinguish. Below, Qinnong Web will introduce the differences between Purple Velvet and Aeonium 'Zwartkop'.

First, let us introduce Purple Velvet. This is also why Purple Velvet and Aeonium 'Zwartkop' look so similar. Purple Velvet is a cultivated variety, a succulent bred by humans through hybridization. Its parent is Aeonium 'Zwartkop', so it is not surprising that Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and Purple Velvet look alike. However, Purple Velvet currently sells for a higher price than Aeonium 'Zwartkop'. Many unscrupulous sellers, seeing that most people cannot tell these two plants apart, pass off Aeonium 'Zwartkop' as Purple Velvet to profit. It can be seen from this that if you want to grow Purple Velvet, you must first learn to distinguish these two plants. So what are their differences?

1. Scent

This is a very easy way to distinguish Purple Velvet from Aeonium 'Zwartkop': smell it. Touch the leaves with your hand, then smell them. Some say it is a fragrance, while others say it is a foot odor. The one with a scent is Purple Velvet. Aeonium 'Zwartkop' has no smell when smelled, but you should also note whether the scent has been artificially added.

2. Look at the leaves

Look at the surface of their leaves. Purple Velvet has a layer of fuzz-like material on its surface, but Aeonium 'Zwartkop' does not and is relatively smooth. In addition, Purple Velvet's leaves are larger and rounder, while Aeonium 'Zwartkop''s leaves are relatively narrower and longer. However, this characteristic can only be used as a supplementary judgment, because under different care environments, the plant shape will differ.

3. Color difference

This is the last trick for distinguishing Purple Velvet from Aeonium 'Zwartkop': by observing the difference in leaf color. In summer, Purple Velvet's leaves are black, and by autumn they turn coffee red, while Aeonium 'Zwartkop' is black, matching its name.

The above is Qinnong Web's introduction to the differences between Aeonium 'Zwartkop' and Purple Velvet. Have you mastered them? In fact, many merchants will hybridize Purple Velvet again, and Qinnong Web thinks that when growing plants, as long as you like them, that is enough. There is no need to deliberately pursue a variety; as long as you like it, that is more important than anything.