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Aeonium arborescens 'Tip Top' (Dwarf Tree Aeonium) – A small clustering form of Aeonium arborescens that reaches to about 1 foot tall with many small rosettes 1 to 3 inches wide at the ends and along short stems with small spathulate (spoon-shaped) leaves that are green near the center and darkening toward the dark maroon tips. We have not seen this cultivar flower but the species has yellow flowers in long terminal clusters in the summer. It is hard to imagine this smaller plant with these flowers as this plant has rosettes proliferating along the stem – time will tell.
Plant in full sun near the coast and partial shade inland. Water occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to 27 degrees F. This plant should do well in coastal gardens tolerate dry conditions.
Aeonium arborescens is native to Gran Carnaria Island in the Canary Islands. We first got cuttings of this interesting plant in 2011 from the garden of Cal Poly SLO Biology Professor Matt Ritter and later saw it labeled with the name 'TipTop' at the San Diego Botanic Garden (Quail Botanic Garden). We would love to know the origin of this plant and who may have named it. The name 'Tip Top' or sometimes 'TipTop' is frequently listed as trademarked but we have never found such a mark registered at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Unfortunately, this curious looking Aeonium did not perform well for us and we discontinued selling it only a year after we started growing in 2013. For more information about the species and a listing of other selections and hybrids of it, see our listing of Aeonium arboreum.
This information about Aeonium arboreum 'Tip Top' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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