Aeonium arboreum

I got this little guy from my friend Sue a while back.  It has thin, slightly fleshy leaves that grow in a radial from the centre of the plant and has golden-yellow flowers in the spring (I’m still waiting to see the flowers).  This plant currently has one stem but they normally grow more branches.

Surprisingly, another succulent I thought was South African is not.  This one originates in the Canary Islands!

Aeonium arboreum.

Mexican Rosette

Another post, another pot plant – but this time I do know its name and where its from.  Its an Echeveria and its as Mexican as tequila and sombreros.  The leaves form an attractive rosette and have a waxy feel to them.  They are very easy to propagate, with a new plant growing from a single leaf.  In fact, my plants have all grown from a single leaf harvested from a friend’s garden.

You may be forgiven for thinking this little plant is South African as you can find them across the country, from dorpies in the Karoo to gardens in Melville.  Also, its part of the Crassulaceae family, as are many other South African succulents.

Interesting fact, courtesy of my What Flower Is That? book.  The name of the genus commemorates a Mexican botanical artist, Atanasio Echeveria.

echeveria