Aeonium arboreum 'Cyclops'

1 Jun '08 2:46 am

This succulent has been in one of my small, circular raised planters between the Gravel Entry Garden and the Broken Concrete Courtyard since at least 2005 when I started taking digital photos. This year it has bloomed for the first time. I've taken a lot of photos to try to understand how the flowers form. They do take a while to form and continue flowering for monthes. The very first to bloom now have a couple of flowering branchlet tips with no new buds ready to bloom so it is finally winding down.

The pictures are roughly in chronological order. The first ones are to show some of the features I like about this plant. Then there are some to show the development of the flowers. Lastly are some photos taken over the last couple years of the same plant.

1 Jun '08 6:25 pm

That's a wonderful set of photos. Smile

9 Jun '08 7:44 am

I just found these pics - wow! You must have very little wind at your place... here the NZ winds would wreak havoc with those tall stalky ones. Love the limey colour of the centres. Smile

9 Jun '08 12:25 pm

Thanks Kerole, Maxflax.. Before I planted Aeonium in this bed I'd experimented with planting tall echiums. Not very successful. After taking an enitre year to form a large basal rosette those echiums got taller than I am before they blew down in a great wind. I'm nearly ready to cut this back soon as the flowers are completely spent.

10 Jun '08 6:20 pm

I've just realised that I read, downloaded but never responded to this wonderful set of pics, Mark. It has played a role in the being-influenced-by-Mark part of my mind. The desire for a succulent/gravel/desert/texture garden grows ever stronger. And the occasion of my sister's 50th draws ever nearer. And she lives in an arid area... Do you follow my drift?

It is posts like these that make the forum such a memorable place - both for the poster and the postee(?!) - as where else would one find this level of colourful reportage on a single aspect of a garden. This is truly sharing. Applause

Thank you

12 Jun '08 9:08 am

I'm glad Moosey was able to upload your new improved system (Jack two). I've been hearing about this sister's upcoming birthday for a while now, Jack. If you are retiring soon I imagine this will make one sweet project for you. I look forward to the photos but I'll be patient.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Aeonium show. If you'd like some seeds let me know but naturally that would be the slow way and since this is a cultivar it isn't likely to come true from see anyhow.

11 Aug '08 6:30 am

You can grow things that I can only dream about lucky you.
Bill

2 Oct '08 2:48 am

I found Aeonium ' Swartkops', the dark leaved one, at a Johannesburg nursery. How similar are their flowers, Mark?

2 Oct '08 3:17 pm

There are a couple different spellings I've seen including yours. Wait, do you mean how similar are they to the ones on this thread? I've only had a couple of the dark one bloom although they've been in the ground much longer. Probably that's because they get less sun. Those flowers are more nearly perfect cones and not quite so large.

Here, I found a couple photos from last spring when I got one more flower from my Zwartkoff.

3 Oct '08 8:23 am

Hi Mark and Jack. I have this dark one (spelled differently again) but it has never flowered. In fact if it weren't for this thread I would never have known they had flowers like that! I love the deep blackishness (!) of this plant - it looks fab against silver foliage.

Aeonium arboreum 'Cyclops'

Aeonium arboreum 'Cyclops'

Wow.

We do get wind but not all year and not usually that strong.

Belated wows

Hi Jack,

Garden

FOUND IT!

It's the exact same, Jack.