Plate No. 37
Pinwheel Aeonium
Aeonium haworthii
"A cloud of small blue-green rosettes"
Native to
Tenerife, Canary Islands
History
A brief account
Pinwheel Aeonium is a branching, shrub-like succulent that forms dense clusters of blue-green rosettes edged in pink. Described by Adrian Haworth in the early 19th century, it is adapted to the winter-rain climate of the Canary Islands, where it grows on cliffs and then rests through the dry summer months. Its neat, spiraling form gives it an architectural quality that makes it stand out among softer succulents. In cultivation, it brings a cool, sculptural elegance to bright containers and rockeries.
How to care for
Place Pinwheel Aeonium according to its light needs: Bright light; morning sun ideal. For watering, autumn through spring; keep almost dry in summer. For the potting medium, use free-draining loamy mix. Good drainage is essential: let surplus water escape freely and never leave the roots standing in a wet saucer.
5–25°C. Frost-tender. Check the compost before watering instead of following a rigid calendar, since light, temperature, pot size and season all affect how quickly it dries. During slower growth, reduce watering and wait longer between drinks.
How to propagate
Stem cuttings root within days. Propagation is most reliable during the plant's active growing season, when warmth and good light help new roots establish. Start with clean tools and healthy material, and keep the new plant in conditions appropriate for the parent.
Where a cutting or division creates a wound, allow the surface to dry before planting unless the method calls for immediate rooting in water or moist mix. Once roots form and fresh growth appears, gradually move the young Pinwheel Aeonium into its normal watering routine; excess moisture is especially risky while the root system is still small.
Cultivation
Quick tips for care & planting
- Light
- Bright light; morning sun ideal.
- Water
- Autumn through spring; keep almost dry in summer.
- Soil
- Free-draining loamy mix.
- Temperature
- 5–25°C. Frost-tender.
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings root within days.