These dramatic and often statuesque succulents are finally having their moment in the sun – which is just where they like it
WORDS NICK BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHS ANNAÏCK GUITTENY
I’ve found it!” shouted the Italian, using more hand gestures than were strictly necessary. “Really?” I shouted back, nearly losing my grip on the side of the volcano. And sure enough my friend had just spotted Aeonium canariense growing on one of the inactive volcanos that make up the Canary Islands archipelago. We’d unearthed all sorts of delights in the preceding days, including the orange-belled climber Canarina canariensis, but up to this point, Aeonium canariense had eluded us. This plant, which is just one of the 40-plus aeoniums included in the genus, grows exclusively on Gran Canaria.
It’s not unique in this trait. Each Canary Island has specific aeoniums that only occur there. The same is true of Madeira. The techy term for this is island endemism, which essentially means each of these islands holds species unique to them that have evolved over millennia to thrive in their environments. But it’s not only Atlantic islands where aeoniums thrive. Several species also reside in Morocco and eastern Africa. So, why the big (Saharan) gap between the two key enclaves of Aeonium?
Well, Mellie Lewis, the UK National Collection holder and a leading authority on aeoniums, has a theory that seems pretty plausible to me. Mellie reckons the aeonium began life as a genus endemic to Yemen and eastern Africa, but as the Sahara expanded, some seven million years ago, seeds were carried west towards Morocco and on to the Canary Islands and eventually Madeira. Here, in their new isolated homes, these succulent plants were able to evolve, taking on myriad forms, colours, textures and habitat tolerances.
Perhaps the best known of all aeoniums in cultivation today is the dramatic A. ‘Zwartkop’. Translated from Afrikaans, this name means black head, which is an apt title for certainly the darkest aeonium I’ve ever grown. Its deeply pigmented leaves are, in truth, a very dark red, but are near black, especially following months of summer sunshine. Its mini shrub-like form of up to 1m sees it produce numerous side branches, which can be selectively removed to enhance its shape. It is best grown in a pot so it can be stored frost-free over winter, where I’ve found its colour fades som
