Aeonium atropurpureum, purple aeonium
Aeonium atropurpureum
- Exposures
- Sun, Half-shade
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 9b (-3.9°C ≤ T° < -1.1°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Genus
- Aeonium
- Species
- Aeonium arboreum
Aeonium atropurpureum was discovered in a garden in the Canary Islands. However, it is not a botanical variety. This succulent is a cultivar derived from aeonium arboreum, a plant belonging to the Crassulaceae family. It is distinguished by its purple foliage.
How can you recognize the purple aeonium, Aeonium atropurpureum?
Aeonium atropurpureum is a shrubby succulent plant. When planted in the ground, it forms a bush that can grow over one meter tall and just as wide.
The thick, gray stem branches out. Each branch bears a rosette of leaves at its tip, approximately fifteen centimeters in diameter.
The fleshy, oblong leaves change color in the sun. The young, bright green leaf blades are clustered at the center of the rosette. The older ones, on the outside of the rosette, take on a purple hue.
The yellow flowers are grouped in a panicle. They grow on a 20-centimeter flower stalk in the center of the rosette. Each rosette blooms only once. It dies after flowering. However, the offshoots and other branches continue to grow.
Aeonium atropurpureum is completely harmless. Its leaves and stems are not toxic to either humans or pets.
Our care tips
If you live in a frost-free region, you can plant your Aeonium atropurpureum in the ground, provided the soil remains dry.
Elsewhere, it's best to opt for a pot culture and bring your Aeonium atropurpureum into your conservatory or living room when temperatures drop. The good news is that it's in winter, when the plant is growing, that it reveals all its beauty!
Watering
During periods of extreme heat, you should adjust the way you water your plant, as it enters a vegetative state to protect itself.
Water your Aeonium atropurpureum when the soil has dried deeply. Use water at room temperature to avoid damaging the roots. If you can, use rainwater or non-calcareous water.
Never leave water standing in the saucer or planter, as this will rot the roots.
Do not water during this period.
Misting
Your Aeonium atropurpureum hates wet foliage. Don't mist the plant.
Repotting
Re-pot your Aeonium atropurpureum in a pierced pot. Line the bottom with pebbles or clay balls to improve drainage.
The Aeonium atropurpureum appreciate well-drained soil. You can use a substrate for cacti and succulents, or mix garden soil with river sand.
Pour a little potting soil into the pot and plant your specimen. Don't hesitate to push in the stem a third of the way up. This way, the plant will be more stable and produce more roots. Fill with potting soil and press down to remove air bubbles.
Prune
To encourage the growth of your Aeonium atropurpureum, prune regularly.
Remove dried leaves.
Cut back flower stems when flowers have wilted. If you use a tool, make sure it's clean and sharp.
Planting
Your Aeonium atropurpureum loves light and hates humidity. Plant it in the sun and in a place where water won't stagnate after a shower, such as an embankment or the top of a slope.
Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Place pebbles or clay balls at the bottom to improve drainage. Plant your Aeonium atropurpureum and fill in with garden soil. You can add sand to lighten the soil. Press down to remove air bubbles.
Taking cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is carried out during the strong growth phase, generally in spring and early summer.
Locate a stem with a rosette. Remove a five-to-eight-centimeter section using clean, sharp pruning shears.
Leave to dry for at least 48 hours in the open air, until a callus forms.
Prepare a pot with drainage holes. Place clay pellets or small stones at the bottom for drainage. Then fill it with a lightweight substrate, such as potting mix for cacti and succulents. Make a small hole in the soil using a pencil or a stick.
Plant your Aeonium atropurpureum. Bury the stem about one-third of the way down. This will help your plant develop more roots and make it more stable. But be careful! Don't bury the leaves! Place your cutting in a bright room with a temperature between 15 and 18°.
Wait a few weeks before watering, to allow time for roots to form.
Disease / Threat
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Exposures
- SunHalf-shade
- Substrates
- Calcareous earthHumus soilSandy soil
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubs
- Tag
- Beginner
- Origin
- Southern Europe
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 9b (-3.9°C ≤ T° < -1.1°C)
- Leaf colors
- Light greenVioletPurple
- Flower color
- Yellow
Discover plants from the same family
Aeonium 'Zwartkop'
Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop'
Haworth's Aeonium
Aeonium haworthii
Find out more
Find all our tips in the Monstera application
