''Aeonium'', the tree houseleeks, is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 35 species of

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

plants of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering plants characterized by succulent leaves and a unique form of photosynthesis, known as Crass ...

. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek αἰώνιος / aiōnios (ageless). While most of them are

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

, some are found in

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, in East Africa (

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

and

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

) and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

Description

The succulent

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are typically arranged on a basal stem, in a dense, spreading rosette. A feature which distinguishes this genus from many of its relatives is the manner in which the flowers bear free petals, and are divided into 6 or 12 sections. Each rosette produces a central inflorescence only once, and then dies back (though it will usually branch or offset to produce ensuing rosettes). Low-growing ''Aeonium'' species are '' A. tabuliforme'' and '' A. smithii''; large species include '' A. arboreum and'' '' A. valverdense''. They are related to the genera ''

Sempervivum ''Sempervivum'' (Brit. , U.S. �sɛ̃mpeɹ'vivũm is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, commonly known as houseleeks. Other common names include liveforever (the source of the taxonomical designation ''Sem ...

'', ''

Aichryson ''Aichryson'' is a genus of about 15 species of succulent, subtropical plants, mostly native to the Canary Islands, with a few in the Azores, Madeira and Morocco. The species of ''Aichryson'' are not frost-resistant. They are related to ''Semper ...

'' and ''

Monanthes ''Monanthes'' is a genus of small, succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. The about ten species are mostly endemic to the Canary Islands and Savage Islands, with some found on Madeira. Its center of diversity is Tenerife, with ...

'', as can be seen by their similar

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

and

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s. Recently, the genus ''Greenovia'' has been placed within ''Aeonium''.

Species and distribution

All but two species are native to at least one of three different

Macaronesia Macaronesia (Portuguese: ''Macaronésia,'' Spanish: ''Macaronesia'') is a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic, off the coasts of Africa and Europe. Each archipelago is made up of a number of List of islands in the At ...

n archipelagos (the

, or

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

) Most aeoniums are from the

, The only species not native to these three Macaronesian island groups (''Aeonium stuessyi'' and Aeonium ''leucoblepharum'') are found in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

; and Ethiopia, Kenya,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

and

, respectively. ''

Aeonium arboreum ''Aeonium arboreum'', the tree aeonium, tree houseleek, or Irish rose, is a succulent, subtropical subshrub in the flowering plant family Crassulaceae. It is an invasive weed in places outside its natural distribution, for example as a garden esc ...

'' is native to both the Canary Islands and Morocco.

Hybrids

Much hybridising has been done, resulting in several

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

of mixed or unknown parentage. The following species and cultivars have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

:- *''Aeonium tabuliforme'' *''Aeonium haworthii'' *''Aeonium haworthii'' 'Variegatum' *''Aeonium'' 'Blushing Beauty' *''Aeonium'' 'Sunburst' *''Aeonium'' 'Zwartkop' Hybridising between Aeonium species or cultivars and other Crassulaeceae species or cultivars has produced intergeneric crosses: * x ''Semponium Sienna' (''Sempervivum'' ‘Green Ice’ x ''Aeonium'' ‘Ice Warrior’). * ''x Semponium'' 'Destiny' - winner of the

Chelsea Flower Show The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the ''Great Spring Show'',Phil Clayton, ''The Great Temple Show'' in ''The Garden'' 2008, p.452, The Royal Horticultural Society is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural ...

'Chelsea Plant of the Year 2022' award. Some species have been introduced in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. UK national collections of aeoniums are held by Mellie Lewis at

Clun Clun ( cy, Colunwy) is a town in south west Shropshire, England, and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The 2011 census recorded 680 people living in the town.Combined populations for the two output areas covering the tow ...

Shropshire Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...

and by Inverewe at

Poolewe Poolewe ( gd, Poll Iù) is a small village in Wester Ross in the North West Highlands of Scotland, about northwest of Inverness, by Loch Ewe. The River Ewe, one of the shortest in Scotland, joins the sea less than from Inverewe Garden, renowned ...

Wester Ross Wester Ross () is an area of the Northwest Highlands of Scotland in the council area of Highland. The area is loosely defined, and has never been used as a formal administrative region in its own right, but is generally regarded as lying to the ...

in Scotland.

Selected species

* ''

Aeonium aizoon ''Aeonium'', the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropics, subtropical plants of the family (biology), family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek α� ...

'' * '' Aeonium appendiculatum'' * ''

'' * ''

Aeonium aureum ''Aeonium aureum'' is a species of flowering plant in the Stonecrop Family Crassulaceae, native to the Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, :es:Canarias, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish Autonomous co ...

'' * '' Aeonium balsamiferum'' * '' Aeonium canariense'' * '' Aeonium castello-paivae'' * '' Aeonium ciliatum'' * '' Aeonium cuneatum'' * '' Aeonium davidbramwellii'' * '' Aeonium decorum'' * '' Aeonium glandulosum'' * '' Aeonium glutinosum'' * '' Aeonium gomerense'' * ''

Aeonium gorgoneum ''Aeonium gorgoneum'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde. It was first described by Johann Anton Schmidt in 1852. Its local name is ''saião''. The plant plays a role in traditional m ...

'' * '' Aeonium goochiae'' * '' Aeonium haworthii'' * '' Aeonium hierrense'' * ''

Aeonium leucoblepharum ''Aeonium leucoblepharum'' is a succulent flowering plant in the family ''Crassulaceae The Crassulaceae (from Latin ''crassus'', thick), also known as the stonecrop family or the orpine family, are a diverse family of dicotyledon flowering pla ...

'' * ''

Aeonium lindleyi ''Aeonium'', the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek αἰώνιος / aiōnios (ageles ...

'' * '' Aeonium nobile'' * '' Aeonium sedifolium'' * '' Aeonium simsii'' * ''

Aeonium smithii ''Aeonium'', the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropics, subtropical plants of the family (biology), family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek α� ...

'' * '' Aeonium spathulatum'' * ''

Aeonium tabuliforme ''Aeonium tabuliforme'', the flat-topped aeonium or saucer plant, is a species of succulent plant in the family Crassulaceae, native and endemic to Tenerife in the Canary Islands. It is low-growing, typically reaching about 5 cm high but up to 45 ...

'' * ''

Aeonium undulatum ''Aeonium undulatum'' is a succulent, evergreen flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. It is a subshrub, one of the larger species of ''Aeonium'' with an rosette of bright, glossy green leaves often over a metre from the ground on a singl ...

'' – saucer plant * '' Aeonium urbicum'' * ''

Aeonium valverdense ''Aeonium'', the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek αἰώνιος / aiōnios (ageles ...

Images

File:Aeonium tabuliforme (7577650498).jpg, ''

'' bearing

File:Aeonium tabuliforme PICT2232.jpg, Detail of ''

'' flower File:Aeonium-arboreum-'Atropurpu.jpg, ''Aeonium arboreum 'Atropurpureum File:Aeonium aureum (≡ Greenovia. aurea) (Marianne Perdomo) 1.jpg, ''Aeonium aureum'' File:Aeonium castello-paivae.jpg, ''Aeonium castello-paivae'' File:Aeonium decorum P1050445.JPG, ''Aeonium decorum'' File:Aeonium lindleyi P1050450.JPG, ''Aeonium lindleyi'' File:Aeonium nobile.jpg, ''Aeonium nobile'' File:Aeonium simsii P1050451.JPG, ''Aeonium simsii'' File:Aeonium labuliforme.jpg, ''Aeonium tabuliforme'' File:Aeonium tabuliforme x arboreum 'Zwartkop' 2.jpg, ''Aeonium tabuliforme × arboreum 'Zwartkop' #2'' File:Aeonium undulatum 092.JPG, ''Aeonium undulatum'' File:Aeonium valverdense PICT0545.jpg, ''Aeonium valverdense''

References

* R. Nyffeler, "Aeonium", in

Urs Eggli Urs (from ''‘Urs'') or ''Urus'' (literal meaning wedding), is the death anniversary of a Sufi saint, usually held at the saint's dargah (shrine or tomb). In most Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiyyah, Suhrawardiyya, Chishtiyya, Qadiriyya, etc. t ...

, ed. ''Illustrated Handbook of Succulent Plants: Crassulaceae'' (Springer, 2003) * M. Cristini, "The Genus Aeonium" (Rome, 2022) {{Taxonbar, from=Q152874 Crassulaceae genera