Family
Crassulaceae
Botanical Name
Aeonium tabuliforme
Plant Common Name
Aeonium, Saucer Plant
General Description
Imagine a plant that looks like it was squashed to the ground as if stepped on by an elephant. That's saucer plant. This strange low-growing tender perennial forms a flat, rounded rosette of succulent foliage. It is native to the coastal cliffs of Tenerife in the Canary Islands and is well-adapted to salt spray and high winds. Each rosette survives as a biennial or short-lived perennial, reproducing by seed or small pups that sprout from the base of the mother plant.
Spoon-shaped, bright green leaves comprise with hairy edges for, the flat, broad rosettes of this succulent. Mature specimens may grow as broad as large dinner plates. In spring, mature rosettes produce singular flower stalks from their centers. At each leafy stalk's top is a loose cluster of numerous tiny, starry flowers. The blossoms may be yellow-green, pale yellow or white, depending on the plant. After blooming and dropping seeds that rosette will wither and die.
Grow saucer plant in fast-draining, porous soil and partial sun. In the wild, it grows on cliffs that face away from direct sunlight. Protect it from frost as well as intense hot sun rays that may scald the leaves, especially in arid climates. In frost-free outdoor landscapes, this succulent grows almost year round, becoming semi-dormant in the hottest part of summer. Keep the soil slightly moist during the warmest months and drier during the cooler times of year. Avoid getting water on the leaves or exposing it to high humidity. Plant it as a houseplant in a warm, bright room or outdoors as a low-growing specimen plant in a shady rockery.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
10 - 15
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Sunset Zone
16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Cactus or Succulent
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Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade
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Height
3"-5" / 7.6cm - 12.7cm
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Width
6"-20" / 15.2cm - 50.8cm
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Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring
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Native To
Canary Islands
