Aeonium 'Chanel' vs Aeonium 'Medusa': what's the difference, and which variety is prettier and easier to grow?
As everyone knows, one reason succulents are so beloved by so many people is that they are fairly drought-tolerant and don't need much time spent on daily care; another reason is that they come in such a wide variety of species that they can satisfy the aesthetics of different groups of people. However, some succulents always leave people hopelessly confused about which is which, for example Aeonium 'Chanel' and Aeonium 'Medusa'. How should succulent growers tell them apart when shopping?
To clearly tell the difference between Aeonium 'Chanel' and Aeonium 'Medusa', you first need to know that these two succulents differ from ordinary succulents: both Aeonium 'Chanel' and Aeonium 'Medusa' are Aeonium (genus Aeonium, family Crassulaceae) succulents, and they are a bit larger than ordinary succulents. Among them, Aeonium 'Chanel' is a mutation of Aeonium 'Zwartkop' (the round-leaf Aeonium); in terms of features, the more strongly its leaves absorb light, the more vivid red the color on both sides of the leaf becomes, while the middle is green.
Aeonium 'Medusa', on the other hand, belongs to a variegated form of Aeonium 'Purple Velvet'; it has this special name because in spring and summer its leaves develop black lines in the middle, as if named after the snake heads on the head of Medusa, the petrifying gorgon of Greek mythology. Specifically, its leaves are relatively thinner than those of 'Chanel', shaped like a long spoon, with a flat leaf surface. Secondly, it also has the trait of new leaves and old leaves being different colors: for old leaves, the two sides are a red marginal variegation and the middle is black; for new leaves, the two sides have more light-yellow variegation patches, while the middle is green, and these colors likewise change with different lighting. Generally speaking, succulent growers only need to go by the difference between the new and old leaves of Aeonium 'Medusa' to tell them apart quickly.
In the flower market, Aeonium 'Chanel' and Aeonium 'Medusa' count as relatively precious varieties in the Aeonium series; they both uniquely have leaves that change with temperature, something many ordinary succulents cannot replicate, and at the same time they are ornamental all year round. In addition, besides 'Chanel' and 'Medusa', common Aeonium succulents also include Aeonium 'Zwartkop', Aeonium 'Purple Velvet', Aeonium 'Green Velvet', Aeonium 'Shame', Aeonium 'Halloween', Aeonium 'Eight-Foot Mirror', Aeonium 'Emerald Ice' and other upscale varieties.