What Kind of Plant Is the Black Aeonium? A Guide to Its Basic Information

Common names of the Black Aeonium

The Black Aeonium is commonly known as the purple-leaf aeonium.

Habits of the Black Aeonium

The Black Aeonium is a succulent in the Crassulaceae family, genus Aeonium, and winter is its period of vigorous growth.

The Black Aeonium is native to Morocco and prefers a warm, dry environment with plenty of sunlight. Its most suitable growing temperature is 20~25°C.

The Black Aeonium is a "winter-growing type"; it tolerates drought and partial shade, is not cold-hardy, and needs plenty of light to grow. In an environment with ample sunlight and good ventilation, the Black Aeonium naturally grows into multiple heads in spring; otherwise, its leaves turn green.

The Black Aeonium dislikes hot, humid environments. Water it once every 2 weeks and make sure it gets plenty of light, but avoid direct strong sunlight.

The usual propagation method at home is cuttings.

Care tips for the Black Aeonium

Watering: under normal growth, water the Black Aeonium once every 2 weeks; just keep the potting soil slightly moist. If the potting soil is too wet, the stems and leaves will easily become leggy. In hot, humid summer conditions the Black Aeonium goes dormant, and in winter, when room temperatures are low, it should not be watered too much either - just keep the potting soil slightly moist.

Fertilizing: fertilize once a month with diluted cake fertilizer water or a special succulent fertilizer. If too much fertilizer is applied, water promptly to avoid leggy leaves and premature aging of the plant.

Repotting: repot every year in early spring. When repotting, cut off the dead leaves at the base of the plant and any overly long fibrous roots. Use a potting mix of leaf mold, growing medium and coarse sand, with a small amount of bone meal or organic fertilizer added.

Sunlight: in midsummer, place the plant in a partially shaded spot. In winter it needs plenty of light; turn the pot regularly to ensure even light exposure, so the plant does not become crooked.

Pests and diseases: common problems include leaf spot disease and the black vine weevil, which seriously affect the Black Aeonium's ornamental value. Once discovered, remove the diseased leaves immediately and spray with an appropriate pesticide.

Propagation methods for the Black Aeonium

Cuttings: in a sunny environment, the mother plant will grow many offsets around it; cut off the offsets and insert them into soil. They will root after 3~4 weeks.

Suggested planting combinations: Crassula mesembryanthemoides and Cotyledon undulata.