Aeonium Arboreum – The Black Rose

Bringing A Little Bit of Cornwall Home

During our holiday, to St. Ives, Cornwall. We found this plant in a garden area near the bus station above the beaches of Harbour and Portminster.

The wife fell in love with it. She wanted to take a cutting. The thing was. We didn’t know how to grow anything from a cutting. So, I suggested against it. Plus, it would be disrespectful to whoever looked after the plants and the community.

So, when I got home, I started researching. What the plant was and found out. The name we picked for the plant. Black Rose. Actually is the real nickname for the plant.

What is it?

The plant goes by many names. The main is Aeonium Arboreum. Also the names Aeonium Schwarzkopf and Aeonium Zwartkop. This plant is a succulent. A succulent is a thick fleshy plant that retains water. From what I have read: This plant is originally from the Canary Islands, North Africa. During the summer months, the leaves turn a dark purple, near black colour.

During the wintertime, it tends to turn back to a green colour. It can be an indoor and outdoor plant. It loves the summer heat. So it will do well outside. Even though it can handle the cold, it’s best to keep it away from it. It’s also good, for us lazy gardeners, as it doesn’t need much looking after except for watering every now and then.

Shopping

So, because I am a wonderful husband, I decided. If my wife wants it, I will get it for her. So for about two days, I researched and searched various online shops until I found the perfect specimen of the plant from a seller, Anna on Esty. Fair enough. It was a little more expensive than the others. But this seller showed the origins of the plant. And you had the option to choose the plant you wanted. So I showed the wife. She picked out what she wanted, and I ordered it. The other great thing was the seller was from Cornwall. So it made it extra special.

The Postman delivered

Today it arrived, and the wife couldn’t be happier. The plant was well packaged. Fair enough, a few little crumbs of soil came out. But I am not going to complain.