Aeonium Haworthii ‘Kiwi’ in Winter Colors

Mid-winter is a sad time in most of the garden, but the succulents look great

The succulents are enjoying the cool weather and water

Most of the Acre at this time of year is a weedy mess. The sub-tropicals are hammered by rain and frost, the vegetable garden is idling with the remains of last fall’s (now dead) crops, and the oak woodland is cluttered with fallen branches from January’s storms.

The one bright spot are the succulents, which are using the cool weather and plentiful water as an opportunity to do some growing before the heat returns.

While I enjoy all of them, one that is real eye-candy is the Aeonium Haworthii “Kiwi”.

This time of year the plant is just beginning its growth phase, producing florets that go from deep green at the edges to a bright yellow in the center. The plant sits under an old yucca mingled with a Mariner’s Kalachoe whose pink flowers and blue-green leaves provide a nice visual contrast.

Looking at the Aeonium can be quite hypnotic as you can see in this photo of young florets below.

Aeonium Haworthii ‘Kiwi’ as it looks in winter

What’s even better, is that later on this spring, the deep green leaves will get tinged with red and provide a colorful display just as the other succulents are going dormant for the summer. The photos below show you what the plant looks like now and what it’ll look like in early summer.

Aeonium ‘Kiwi’ as it looks in winter

The Aeonium in the heat of June

And the best part of all this? This plant was grown from a broken stem I recovered from a green waste bin back in 2019!