Branching Aeonium Nobile

[SummaScriptura]

This June, after a seven-years period of neglect, I've gotten inspired to remake my garden. I am a life-long fan of succulents and aeoniums in particular, but not an expert. Recently, I've also taken to reading up on the subject for once. It is my understanding that Aeonium Nobile, though occasionally known for sending out suckers on its sides between its leaves, is a non-branching form of aeonium.

In my travels and on daily dog walks, I have detected what appears to be two atypical branching exemplars of the Nobile species.

Pictures 1-4 are one example I found growing in two plants in front of a merchant in San Francisco, the taller plant is about 2 feet high. The left middle rosette is about a foot across.

Pictures 5-7 are of another I found growing in someone's front yard in the city, about 2 miles from the first. The plant is about 2 feet tall. The visible trunk is about 3 inches in diameter.

Your thoughts are appreciated.

[Allen Repashy]

Hello and welcome to the forums. There was actually a recent thread on this topic.... One of the clones I have looks just like your photo's .... the pics in the other thread are what they look like if grown in more shade.

Clustering Aeonium nobile

[SummaScriptura]

I had read that thread. Having Googled it is what led me to your forums. However, the "suckering" in evidence on your plants is the same as has been observed of this species in the wild, from what I have read. The plants I have observed here seem to be senfing out branches from a long stem. It is the long stem and branches which seem to be missing from any descriptions I can find of this species.

[Allen Repashy]

I agree with your conclusion from the photo's in the other thread.... Problem is that if you take and cut a head off and put it in the ground, you get what looks like the other photos..... but they eventually grow a trunk and branch like the ones in your photo.... My plants came from NorCal originally, and I think this clone has been getting around because it pups so much. Have you seen any of the ones you observed in Flower? I am still waiting for mine to flower, and this should at least give some good clues. I think that most likely these plants are hybrids.

Allen

[SummaScriptura]

Thanks for your replies, by the way.

If it is a hybrid, its a d@mn cool one! These two plants are becoming impressive arboreal aeoniums. The only succulent I know with a trunk that thick is what they call "Jade". From the owners I determined the approximate age of these tree-like Nobile as about 3-5 years. I cannot imagine what an older plant, say 8-10 years would look like! I've not seen them flowering and neither have the original owners.

If and when they bloom, how can I tell if they are hybrids or a mutation of the original?

[Matt Maggio]

Very nice plants! I agree this is a hybrid, probably A. nobile with arboreum or cuneatum. This plant is being distributed by Succulent Gardens in Castroville, CA(Monterey Bay Region). I don't know if it originated there.

Matt

[SummaScriptura]

It has been a week since I got this specimen. Pictured on the left is a week ago and on the right is today.

I'm happy to say the clipping seems to be responding positively to being planted. I'm glad this does not seem to be a finicky plant but hardy like most aeoniums and quickly rebounding from being severed from its mother plant. The rosette seems to be opening up.

I planted it in 75% sand and lava rock and 25% potting soil. It has not been watered by me. In this part of San Francisco everything gets "watered" by fog, literally.

[Cactusmike]

That is a great looking Aeonium. I totally dig the pink edges of the leaves. I need one of those for my garden for sure. What name is Succulent Gardens selling it under?

[SummaScriptura]

Originally Posted by Cactusmike

That is a great looking Aeonium. I totally dig the pink edges of the leaves. I need one of those for my garden for sure. What name is Succulent Gardens selling it under?

I was skeptical when the poster seemed to know it was being distributed by Succulent Gardens. I e-mailed them immediately and have not heard back. I would be happy to find out they are cognizant of this plant, but have doubts.

[Matt Maggio]

Succulent Gardens is where I purchased mine. The availability ebbs and flows, but I've seen it there by the few dozen at a time. Lots can change, however, since I was last there almost a year ago. I did see some in their mother stock.

[SummaScriptura]

Originally Posted by Matt Maggio

Succulent Gardens is where I purchased mine. The availability ebbs and flows, but I've seen it there by the few dozen at a time. Lots can change, however, since I was last there almost a year ago. I did see some in their mother stock.

You're right.

I just stopped by "Flora Grubb" about 30 minutes ago. They have it and the tags in the pots say, "Aeonium Nubile - www.sgplants.com"

Whether its a hybrid or a new mutation it matters not. It's official, it is not rare. Its just not in wide circulation... yet.

Norma Grubb has 3 for $13.95 that are thriving at about 10" - 12".

She also has 2 for $29.99 which have grown to about 18"-20".

Matt Maggio is right.

This is one impressive aeonium. I am a fan of them in general but for me, this one's hard to beat for sheer beuty, succulence and size.

[amanzed]

Not living in the SF area, I tried to look up Norma Grubb, but I only find the literary reference. For florists or nurseries, I find Flora Grubb. Is that right, or am I just not Googling hard enough?

--d.c.
DC Elzinga

[SummaScriptura]

Sorry, she's Flora! You have it right!

[amanzed]

Update, these Aeonium nobile are available at Succulent Gardens. I received an email reply from proprietor Robin Stockwell (nice name for a merchant). I think based on his request, I'll post his reply here.

Robin writes in reply to the below:

I just put a crop out as available of about 400 6". We also have some beautiful 2 and 5 gallon. I avoid individual plant shipping. The nursery is full on opent to the public, please get the word out. Hours are 8 to 4 Monday through Saturday. Check out the web site at www.sgplants.com.

Thanks for your interest and come check out the nursery. If you visit Xericworld, please do add an update about us. the nursery is rapidly changing, so am I, and we are now three acres of succulents and doing what we can to promote the use of succulents in landscaping and container gardening.

Robin

On Jun 28, 2010, at 5:13 PM, D C Elzinga wrote:

Hi Robin, please sign me up.

I live in SoCal but make it up there.

Hey, I think you mostly sell to the trade and I am a hobby grower, CSSA member, and gardener (about 300 succulents and 80 orchids), but I saw a couple pics of a branching Aeonium nobile (may be labelled 'nubile') and I wonder if you would sell me one of these (or frankly, a cutting).

....

[mvbronzeart]

Hello folks!
I have had the branching form of Aeonium Nobile for about three years, I have purchased this form from several sources. Griggs nursery in Carmel Valley CA, OSH, Cypress nursery in Monterey, and I have seen them in at the Succulent Gardens in Castroville. I spoke with Robin Stockwell several years ago about the branching habits and believes them to be a hybrid also. Some of the labels on the plants where generic labels ,sg others had the Happy Garden grower tags. A mutual aquaintance has mention to me that Robin purchases from the wholesaler Happy Garden growers so I believe that is the main source of these branching Nobiles because sometimes larger plants are found overnight at the Succulent gardens.
Mike

[SummaScriptura]

Three weeks have passed...

[Brian Kemble]

I saw a batch of Aeonium nobile grown from seed at Annie's Annuals, in Richmond, CA 2 or 3 years ago, and was interested to see that some were not single. A friend planted one of these in his garden, and it grew into a robust clump about 2 or 3 feet across. The heads look like Aeonium nobile, but because of the branching habit I thought it might be a hybrid. This year the plant flowered, and the flowers proved to be pink, whereas the single-headed plant I had seen in flower previously was bright red. Still, I can't be sure if the branching and the different flower color are evidence that the plant is a hybrid, or if it might have enough variability that there are populations with pink-flowering branching plants. . .
Brian Kemble

[SummaScriptura]

I took this pic yesterday at Flora Grubb nursery...

[Allen Repashy]

I just noticed yesterday that one of mine is in bloom!... The flowers are pink as Brian described. I will try and find my camera and snap a pic..... Since true A. nobile has a bright red flower, this must be a hybrid..... the question now, is what species is it crossed with?

[Brian Kemble]

I would not necessarily jump to the conclusion that this plant is a hybrid. There are many cases of a plant being described from one population, and then other populations are subsequently discovered that differ in some respect or another (like Agave titanota). The rosettes of this pink-flowered branching plant look just like A. nobile, and it is just possible that someone has found (and gathered seed from) a new form of the species in which the flower is lighter and the plants sometimes branch. It would be helpful to know if the seed was wild-collected or not.

[SummaScriptura]

I've been out of the gardening loop for sometime, but didn't something akin to this occur in recent times regarding the aeonium which some call "Sunburst"?

In 2001, I purchased a "Sunburst" aeonium at the botanical gardens annual sale in San Francisco. I was told at the time, "this one does not send out pups so when it blooms it dies". And so it did. Now nine years later I find branching "Sunburst" aeoniums for sale somewhat regularly.

I seem to recall reading on Dan's Garden website that when growers find an exemplar of a species that has exceptional propagating qualities this exemplar over time becomes the dominant form of the plant available through commercial outlets.

[Brian Kemble]

Aeonium 'Sunburst' was said to be a variegated form of A. decorum, which is usually non-branching, but now there seems to be some doubt as to whether this is correct. But it is certainly true that when there are both single and clumping forms of a species, the more propagation-friendly clumpers come to dominate in the trade (examples: Agave victoriae-reginae, which is most often non-offsetting in nature; Aloe rupestris, normally single in nature).

[Allen Repashy]

Here is a pic of the flowers as promised.

[SummaScriptura]

Aeonium flowers that are not yellow. Beautiful!

[Boo Hollow]

All - Happy Growers does have this plant in inventory. This is a wholesale only nursery and has a long history with Robin as he used to work there and this is where he got his start, so the potential for the plants he has being propagated from leaf cuttings originating from HG is strong. Annie did have this plant the last time we visited several months ago. The plants we have purchased from her a few years ago with the same name tag have also had a tendency to branch out with longer stems, solely dependent on sun exposure. The plants that I purchased from Happy Growers (not their real name) have also had a tendency to branch, although not as prolifically. There is a small locus of growers within the Bay Area that still have stock that came from Kimura International and its former owners back from the mid 70's. The current owner of Kimura - the daughter of the Kimura International founder (which is unfortunately closed but still has lots of greenhouses and personal inventory) has these plants scattered on the grounds when I was last there a couple of years ago. I will ask her if she remembers where they might have come from. So back in the earlier days, Happy Growers, Succulent Gardens and several others obtained imported stock from Kimura and its predescesor. So I will try to track down on this end potential origin of the parent stock.

It is a great looking plant but appears very prone to aphids and associated black sooty mold. Keep those ants under control.

Allen - wonderful picture. Wow.