Aeonium castello-paivae 'Suncup' - A small many branched compact evergreen subshrub to 10 to 12 inches tall by about twice as wide with 3- to 4-inch-wide rosettes of pale green leaves splashed with white and a hint of pink when grown in bright light but rosettes are larger when grown in shade. In late spring into summer appear small white flowers on 6- to 8-inch-long leafy inflorescences. These are interesting but not particularly showy, so it may be best to remove as the foliage is the main attraction on this plant with a variegation that is unstable, so each rosette looks a bit different, making for a colorful arrangement.
Plant in full coastal sun to part shade in a well-drained soil and give occasional irrigation. Hardy to around 25°F so useful in gardens in USDA zone 9 and above. A great little container plant or accent plant in the garden and useful as cascading plant at the top or planted in a wall.
The species Aeonium castello-paivae is one of the smaller Aeoniums and has been previously classified as a Sempervivum. It comes from La Gomera, the second smallest of the seven main islands in the Canary Islands where it grows in the mist zone from 650 to 3000 feet in elevation. This plant has been grown under various names, including Aeonium castello-paivae forma variegata and the invalid name Aeonium torulosum. We thank Jeff Moore of Solana Succulents for identifying this plant we had unnamed in our collection and that we sold from 2017 until 2020.
The information about Aeonium castello-paivae 'Suncup' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |