Aeonium Sunburst is easy to grow, care for, and even propagate! Since no plant collection is ever complete (believe us, we know), what new member can be more interesting than an adorable succulent? Meet one of our top picks this year – Aeonium decorum ‘Sunburst’ a.k.a. Aeonium ‘Sunburst’.
Aeonium decorum ‘Sunburst’ is a super attractive flowering succulent in the Crassulaceae family. This succulent is native to the Canary Islands, growing at its best in those environments that mimic the general conditions from its natural habitat. It comes with various common names, such as Aeonium ‘Sunburst’, Copper Pinwheel, Tree Aeonium, and Tree Houseleek.
The superb rosettes of this cultivar are a must-have in every landscape. Aeonium Sunburst features bright green leaves adorned with creamy yellow stripes, providing a hypnotic style overall. Also, the tips of its leaves turn a nice-looking pinkish shade when it receives lots of sunlight. What an eye-catching view indeed!
Curious to learn more about this fascinating succulent? Keep reading our guide and you’ll learn everything about Aeonium Sunburst succulents!
About Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
- Being among the loveliest Aeonium cultivars and having a very easy-going nature in general, the Sunburst variety has received the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
- Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ usually goes dormant throughout the summer months. During this period, the succulent does not need any water. However, you will have to intervene with a watering routine if the outdoor conditions are excessively dry.
- This attractive plant is a monocarpic succulent, which means that the main plant will die off after its flowering period. Because of this, you must propagate it through stem cuttings to help it keep you company for a longer time.
- Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is an adorable addition to several landscape decorations. Some of these are succulent gardens, rock gardens, Mediterranean gardens, coastal gardens, borders, edging planting, mass planting, containers, and even floral/succulent arrangements.
- This succulent can make for a wonderful companion to other cute species of plants. The most popular companions for it include Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’, Blue Chalksticks, Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’, Paddle Plant, and other cacti or succulents that have similar growing and environmental requirements.
- The leaves of Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ may contain a sap that can be pretty toxic to both humans and animals if eaten or touched. For safety purposes, place this succulent in a location where your curious pets or children cannot reach it.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ Features: An Overview
- This plant belongs to the Aeonium genus of about 35 species of subtropical succulents and lots of other hybrids. It shares the genus with other charming Aeoniums, such as A. arboreum, A. haworthii, A. undulatum, A. sedifolium, or A. tabuliforme.
- Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is an evergreen flowering succulent. In general, the plant can reach from 18 to 30 inches (45-76 cm) in height and up to 24 inches (60 cm) in width.
- This succulent produces large, variegated rosettes that typically grow between 6 and 8 inches (15-20 cm) in diameter. Each rosette consists of fleshy, succulent, spoon-shaped leaves and shows up on tall, thick, bare, wood-like stems.
- The rosettes appear mainly in various shades of green, but they also exhibit lovely creamy white to yellowish stripes at their margins. When the succulent receives plenty of sunlight, its leaves become adorned with pink to coppery red tips.
- Depending on the region, mature Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ can bloom anytime from mid-winter to spring. During this period, it sprouts pale yellow raceme inflorescences of tiny, star-shaped flowers.
Growing Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
When it comes to lighting, Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ thrives with lots of sunlight overall. For best performance, grow your succulent in a spot where it can receive at least six hours of bright, direct light daily. If you live in a very hot region, however, this plant will benefit from a bit of shade. Make sure you protect your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ from any direct exposure to harsh afternoon sunlight.
Temperature-wise, Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is winter hardy in the USDA zones 9 through 12. In general, this succulent grows at its best in temperatures that range from 40 to 100 °F (4-38 °C) all year round. In case the temperatures in your area drop lower than 30 °F (-1 °C) in autumn or winter, it is wise to grow your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ in a pot and keep it inside until spring.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ does not face serious issues regarding pests and fungal diseases. Still, some intruders like slugs, scale insects, or spider mites may attack your plant occasionally. If you notice any suspect presence on your succulents, you can use either neem oil or horticultural soaps to get rid of the infestation. Be careful, though! High amounts of soap sprays will eventually result in lesions and discolouration of your succulents. Use horticultural soaps wisely!
Planting Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
Like most cacti and succulents, Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ will grow just fine in a potting mix designed for these particular types of plants. But! This buddy right here has watering demands that are slightly different from the other common succulents. Since it is a secret lover of moisture, Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ prefers a sandy loam or regular, all-purpose potting soil.
Generally speaking, most succulents appreciate monthly applications of fertilizer. And Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is not different! This process will help your plant to absorb all the nutrients it needs, resulting in a healthy and happy plant. The perfect time to fertilize your succulent is during its active growing period. Feed your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ with a balanced fertilizer diluted at half strength with water once every month from late winter to spring.
If you are growing your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ in a container, you will have to repot it once every two or three years. Transplanting your succulent into another pot will not only provide it with a fresh growing medium but also give it more space to develop as pleased. When your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ begins to grow bigger than its pot, make sure you move it into a new one that is one size larger.
Watering Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
Although Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is a big fan of moisture, it will not enjoy having its feet constantly wet. As a matter of fact, this succulent is relatively tolerant of drought for long periods. This feature makes Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ an excellent start-up for beginner gardeners or those that forget about their beloved plants due to everyday life. Yet, the drought-tolerant nature of this succulent should not encourage you to skip watering it for good. On the contrary!
The best way to make your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ happy is to adopt the “soak & dry” watering style. In other words, we recommend you always check its soil in-between waterings and spoil it with a drink only when it has dried out completely. Keep in mind that this watering method is viable only during the seasons of interest of this plant, usually from late winter through spring.
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ goes dormant in summer and may stay like this until winter. During its dormancy period, you can leave your succulents alone until the winter comes. If you live in a particularly hot region, however, you must water this plant at least once a month.
Propagating Aeonium ‘Sunburst’
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is a monocarpic succulent that typically dies after its blooming season. Luckily, it may take several years for this plant to produce flowers. But when the time comes, we warmly suggest you take some cuttings from your succulent if you want to keep it near you for as long as possible.
If you are a novice gardener and feel a bit discouraged when it comes to propagation, get this thought out of your mind! Propagating your Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ is a super easy process and will show cute results in time without too much extra attention. Moreover, we bet that you will also have some fun along the way, so let’s do this!
First things first, find a sharp knife or pair of scissors and sterilize it. Find a healthy stem and cut it away from its main cluster. If you want to take more cuttings, you will have to sterilize your tool after each taken cutting. Place all the cuttings on a paper towel and allow them to form a callous for the next few days.
Once this period has passed, you can plant the Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ cuttings in a container filled with fresh, well-draining soil. Move the container to a warm, well-lit area for the best growth. If you provide the cuttings with water whenever the soil has dried out entirely, they will develop some tiny roots in several months or so. It is important to know that not all cuttings will produce a root system, no matter how experienced are you in the gardening world. To increase your chances of success, take as many cuttings as you can and wait for the magic to happen!
In Conclusion
There are many amazing succulents available on the market and Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ will definitely be a great addition to your plant family. This buddy can fill any dull spot with little to no effort – only by its delicate, but strong presence. And when a plant is so low-demanding and easy to propagate, growing Aeoniums will surely be a fun experience!
