Succulent
Black Rose Aeonium
Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' · Crassulaceae
Also called: Black Rose, Black Tree Aeonium, Zwartkop, Schwarzkopf, Black Beauty
Black Rose Aeonium (Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop') is a low-water succulent well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 1-3 ft tall and wide, branching, with a moderate growth rate. Expect bright yellow blooms Conical clusters of small star flowers in late winter to spring on mature roset…
Black Rose Aeonium at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Needs good sun to keep the deep near-black color, but it is a winter-grower that struggles in extreme heat-in Tucson give bright morning sun with afternoon shade, especially in summer when full sun scorches it. Too much shade turns the rosettes green.
- Mature size
- 1-3 ft tall and wide, branching
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Bright yellow, Conical clusters of small star flowers in late winter to spring on mature rosettes (the flowering rosette then dies).
- Cold hardiness
- Frost-tender; damaged below about 30-32 F. In Tucson protect from hard frost and from intense summer heat-treat as a movable container plant, sheltering it in both temperature extremes.
- Soil
- Fast-draining cactus/succulent or amended sandy mix; container culture recommended so it can be moved with the seasons.
- Native range
- Cultivar of Aeonium arboreum, native to Morocco / Canary Islands region
- Best used as
- Dramatic dark-foliage container specimen, Patio and entry accent, Color contrast in mixed succulent pots, Seasonal cool-season focal plant
- Wildlife
- Spring flowers attract bees; mainly an ornamental accent plant.
- Toxicity
- Generally regarded as non-toxic / low toxicity to pets and people, though ingestion may cause mild stomach upset; among the safer succulents to grow.
How to grow Black Rose Aeonium in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Unlike most succulents it grows in the cool season and goes semi-dormant in hot, dry summer; water more in fall through spring and ease off in mid-summer (but don't let it shrivel). Keep soil well-drained and never waterlogged.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder; apply a dilute balanced fertilizer during the cool-season growth period (fall-spring) and withhold during summer dormancy.
Pruning & care
Cut leggy stems to encourage branching; beheaded rosettes re-root readily and the cut stem usually re-sprouts. Each rosette is monocarpic-it dies after its tall yellow flower spike, but side branches carry on.
Notes
Opposite growth cycle from most desert succulents-active and lush in Tucson's cool months and resting in summer heat, so do not overwater a summer-dormant plant. Best grown in pots with morning sun/afternoon shade and protected from both frost and the harshest summer sun to preserve its signature black rosettes.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum references; World of Succulents (worldofsucculents.com)