About
Smith's treeleek is a small, densely branched succulent endemic to Tenerife. Its shaggy, hairy stems and wavy-edged rosettes set it apart from other aeoniums.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Water
- Water moderately while in growth. Many aeoniums go semi-dormant in very hot summers, so avoid overwatering then. General guidance for the genus
- Temperature
- Overwinter frost-free at about 6–10 °C; the RHS trial kept cold-sensitive plants at 10 °C. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Very free-draining, gritty compost; the RHS trial used about one part grit to five parts compost, topped with gravel. General guidance for the genus
- Mature size
- Up to 60 cm tall.
- Hardiness
- RHS H1c: frost-tender, can stand outdoors in summer in most of the UK but needs protection in winter. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
A perennial shrublet up to 60 cm tall. Stems 7–30 mm thick are densely clothed in multicellular hairs 3–8 mm long, a feature unique in the genus. Flat rosettes 6–15 cm across carry wavy leaves with fine hairs visible only under a microscope. Yellow flowers are borne on inflorescences up to 15 cm long from May to June.
Distribution & habitat
Endemic to Tenerife, on rocks and cliffs at 150–2,150 m, mostly in the forest zone; in Teide National Park it grows on the inner cliffs of the Las Cañadas caldera wall. Modelling suggests suitable habitat on La Palma, La Gomera and Gran Canaria.
Ecology
Insects pollinate the flowers and the fruits are dispersed by wind. It can hybridise with Aeonium spathulatum.
History & etymology
Named after the botanist Christen Smith.
Conservation
Threatened by the collection of plants for ornamental use.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Spain
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Overwinter frost-free at about 6–10 °C; the RHS trial kept cold-sensitive plants at 10 °C.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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