These aeoniums are long-time valued residents in my backyard.  They are very common succulents, but I am fond of them. Being a new gardener (with no green thumb!) any plant, no matter how common, that survives in my backyard, deserves care and devotion.

Year after year, even though they were planted in an inhospitable retaining wall in the full afternoon sun, these aeoniums brave the extremely hot summers of Fairfield, zone 9b.  Many gardeners do not water their aeoniums much, and they survive hot summer by closing their leaves into a ball as a protective reaction for survival. Imagine an unsightly mass of dry leaves, protecting the green inner core.  In my case, being retired with time to spare, I water them quite often, so they do not close into a tight ball.  They are covered during the hottest 100 degree plus days.

The first picture was taken in late August 2021 when it was still very hot and dry.  I made sure to water them twice a week in the evenings of the hottest days.  In turn, they rewarded me with a gorgeous coral pink cabbage rose appearance.  I was very tempted to cut a few and set a table for afternoon tea.

photos by Cindy Yee

The second picture is an aeonium in November 2021, after the first big rain we had.  They grew twice the size with a few even bigger than my face.  The leaves open with the glorious cooler weather.

The last picture was just taken in mid-January 2022.  Some of the biggest ones are about to bloom.  Aeoniums are monocarpic, so after blooming, the heads will die off.  Some gardeners prune off the stems before blooming, to preserve the plant's energy. But since there is a good mass of aeoniums here, I will let them bloom and enjoy their beauty.