Aeonium 'Pen-du'

RHS Plant Profile

aeonium 'Pen-du'

RHS

Bedding Cactus Succulent Conservatory Greenhouse Houseplants

A bushy, evergreen succulent, forming a branching mound of fleshy-leaved dark red and green rosettes. This plant was shortlisted for the Plant Heritage Threatened Plant of the Year 2025

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C
Drought Resistance: Yes

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Crassulaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Aeonium are evergreen succulents often of shrubby habit, with fleshy leaves in terminal rosettes on the shoots, and racemes or panicles of small, star-shaped flowers with numerous narrow petals
Name Status: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in pots of peat-free, loam-based compost with added extra grit. Position in a sunny spot for the best leaf colouration; aeonium will tolerate some shade but the leaves become green. Water moderately when in growth, not at all when dormant. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser 2 or 3 times during the growing season. In winter move plants to a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further information

Propagation

Propagate by cuttings of rosettes kept at 18°C and barely moist until rooted

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Houseplants
Mediterranean climate plants
Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical
Low Maintenance
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and mealybugs

Diseases

Generally disease-free