Japanese name: 黒法師 Scientific name:Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’
[Overview]
A cultivar of Aeonium arboreum.
A succulent evergreen perennial to shrub up to 1 m tall.
The leaves are simple and alternate, forming rosettes at the stem tips; they are spatulate and glossy blackish purple.
The leaf margins have fine hairs.
A panicle emerges at the stem tip and bears many yellow flowers, but the plant dies after flowering.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by bud cuttings.
It prefers a well-drained, well-ventilated environment.
It can overwinter outdoors if protected from frost and cold wind.
It dislikes strong direct sunlight in summer, but if the light is too poor, the leaf color becomes poor.
Place pots on a shelf or similar so air can reach the bottom, and move them out of the rain during long rainy spells.
It dislikes heat and humidity, so in summer move it to cool, airy partial shade.
Water thoroughly only after the soil in the pot has dried all the way through.
Water collecting in the rosette can cause disease, so pour water gently around the edge of the pot.
In midsummer and winter, keep it even drier.
Fertilizer is hardly necessary, but if given, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer in spring and autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
