Dwarf aeonium

Description

Aeonium sedifolium is a perennial flowering plant in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae. The plant is native to the western Canary Islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma. Aeonium sedifolium is a perennial, herbaceous plant or small shrub with branched stems. The flower rosettes are small compared to most aeoniums, and consist of thick and fleshy oval shaped or a trowel shaped leaves. The young leaves look similar to the leaves of genus Sedum. The leaves are sticky and are initially green, but soon form red stripes on them. Its inflorescence is a little bundle of small, golden yellow flowers that bloom from April to May. The botanical name Aeonium comes from the ancient Greek word "aionios" (eternal), because it retains its leaves. Aeonium sedifolium grows in full sun or partial shade on eroded volcanic soil. The plant is native to western Tenerife in the Canary Islands, the islands of La Palma and La Gomera. Aeonium, the tree houseleeks, is a genus of about 35 species of succulent, subtropical plants of the family Crassulaceae. Many species are popular in horticulture. The genus name comes from the ancient Greek "αιώνιος"/"aionios" (ageless). While most of them are native to the Canary Islands, some are found in Madeira, Cape Verde, Morocco, in East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya) and Yemen. The succulent leaves are typically arranged on a basal stem, in a dense, spreading rosette. A feature which distinguishes this genus from many of its relatives is the manner in which the flowers bear free petals, and are divided into 6 or 12 sections. Each rosette produces a central inflorescence only once, and then dies back (though it will usually branch or offset to produce ensuing rosettes). Low-growing Aeonium species are A. tabuliforme and A. smithii; large species include A. arboreum, A. valverdense and A. holochrysum. They are related to the genera Sempervivum, Aichryson and Monanthes, as can be seen by their similar flower and inflorescences. Recently, the genus Greenovia has been placed within Aeonium. Most aeoniums are from the Canary Islands,  but some are from Madeira, Cape Verde, Morocco, Yemen and East Africa : Ethiopia (for example in the Semien Mountains), Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Some species have been introduced in California.