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- Aeonium arboreum Atropurpureum cristata
Aeonium arboreum Atropurpureum cristata
Place the plant in a sunny location.
Always water after the substrate has dried out. Reduce watering in winter.
It can tolerate -3.9 °C in the short term. However, the plant is not cold hardy.
The plant is very thirsty during the growing season and can therefore be watered more frequently than other species.
Aeonium arboreum var. Atropurpureum cristata, also known professionally as Aeonium arboreum Atropurpureum Cristatum, is a succulent with unusual crested growth for the genus Aeonium. It is a valuable collector's and exhibition piece.
The stems form a ridge-like mutation topped with leaves that change colour from red-green to deep red-purple depending on the season. The leaves tend to be smaller than those of the common form of Aeonium arboreum and form dense clumps. The plant has a flat and rigid stem which branches over time. The branches naturally lose their lower leaves as they age. Sometimes the shapes and growth patterns return to a normal, non-cristate, form. Overall, the plant grows to a rather smaller size but is more interesting than the normal form.
The cristate form is unlikely to flower.
Fertilisation is not suitable for the plant. Aonium grows quite rapidly and changes colour. Each specimen has a unique shape, captivates passersby with its unusual form possibilities, and over time becomes a show piece in your collection.