Aeonium Simsii

It is an Aeonium, but a little different to the taller ones with those beefier leaves which are more often seen. Aeonium simsii is delicately special. Imagine a clump of Sempervivums, raised aloft on stout little red trunks, and that’s what you get. Grows quite slowly but steadily to around 1ft x 1ft.

The leaves are maroon-edged (in good light. Do give it good light as it will be a pallid creature elsewhere. No one want’s Gollum at the party)) and they are clustered into dense rosettes at the end of their stems. The cushion-y quality of these plants is enhanced by the translucent hairs which edge the leaves fuzzily.

Keep frost free, somewhere that’s not in extremes of sun or drought. Best in a moist free draining compost. It’s really easy in a pot and frankly this is probably your best bet. This way you can haul it under glass if you’re in an area prone to nasty winters with sharp unexpected freezes, and it has a very attractive houseplant-y quality on a conservatory windowsill. Do take care not to overwater at that time of year, when it is naturally more dormant and not growing strongly.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.