Aeonium Voodoo is a drought-tolerant, large headed Aeonium undulatum x arboreum Zwartkop hybrid. Reaching up to 1.5 meters tall and with a similar spread it can form very large, architectural mounds of 30cm diameter rosettes. It can be used in a variety of ways from specimen pot plants to exotic summer bedding and contrasts well alongside lighter, brighter coloured foliage plants.
In Winter the leaves are green with a slight red to purple tinge, they then darken to deep purple, almost black from Spring onwards as daylight hours increase and the sunlight levels strengthen. When growing outside for the summer position in areas of either full sun or partial shade (full sun giving the best leaf colour) and keep in a sheltered spot. Tolerates any soil as long as it is sharply drained. Despite being a succulent and drought-tolerant best growth does occur with a regular watering during the warmer months allowing the compost to dry out a bit between watering. Keep on the dry side during winter only watering if the plant is showing signs of drooping.
Our plants are now kept in cool glasshouses for the winter where the temperature is allowed to drop to around 0c. If the compost is dry during the winter then they can survive down to freezing with little to no damage. -1.5c tends to cause a fair bit of leaf damage but they soon recover in the spring. -3c tends to kill the stems but we have had recovery from the base. This is all based on the compost/ soil being dry for the Winter. If it is too wet they will be far less cold tolerant and root rot may set in.
Voodoo has very brittle stems and you will find that they often snap off if the heads get to big and heavy. This can also occur during transport. Do not worry, new heads will quickly form at the break creating an even bushier plant and if the head that has come away has some stem attached this can be allowed to callus/ partially dry out for a few days and then be stuck back into the soil where it will root in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Sent as a young plant in a 9cm pot.
