Learn the names of best Aeonium Types and Varieties that offer so much color and contrast to grow indoors and outdoors.
If your succulent collection is begging for a bold new star, aeoniums are the answer. These sculptural plants whip up rosettes in every shade you can imagine, from inky purples to zesty lime greens. They slide effortlessly into pots on a sunny windowsill or into garden beds that need a jolt of personality. This handpicked lineup of 29 spectacular aeonium types is your ticket to a more vibrant, texture-filled plant life.
Check out our article on best echeveria types here
Best Aeonium Varieties
1. Mountain Rose
Botanical Name: Aeonium dodrantale
Height/Spread: 2-4 inches
This is a true charmer. Mountain Rose serves up tight little rosettes that mimic the shape of a blooming rose, only in a cool jade green. As the older leaves spread outward, they blush with a soft reddish tint.
2. Bronze Medal Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Bronze Medal’
Height/Spread: 12-36/10-18 inches
It shapes itself into a petite rose-like cluster. The green leaves are edged in a deep bronze, with delicate red streaks running through them.
3. Dwarf Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium sedifolium
Height/Spread: 4-6 inches
A dense little mound of chubby, lime-green and orange leaves, each one framed by a dark red outline. This compact plant stays low and busy, perfect for small pots.
4. Stalked Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium undulatum
Height/Spread: 12-36/8-12 inches
Big, bold rosettes sit atop a thick, elongated stem, like a succulent lollipop. In summer, clusters of tiny yellow blooms bring a cheerful pop.
5. Black Tree Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum ‘Atropurpureum’
Height/Spread: 12-26/8-14 inches
Glossy, dark purple-red leaves create a near-black effect in bright sunshine, giving this plant a striking, sculptural look. Move it into the shade, and those leaves transform into a gentle light green.
6. Emerald Ice
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Emerald Ice’
Height/Spread: 12-14/8-12 inches
Its rosette is a crispy geometric wonder. Layers of green leaves radiate out with creamy white borders, forming a beautiful variegated pattern that looks almost frosted.
7. Silk Pinwheel
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Silk Pinwheel’
Height/Spread: 12-36/8-16 inches
Deep wine-purple leaves spiral tightly into a perfect pinwheel shape. The surface feels silky smooth, which is exactly how it earned its name—a truly top-tier aeonium.
8. Sunburst Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum ‘Luteovariegatum’
Height/Spread: 4-8 inches
Green leaves, ranging from slender to broad, are brushed with pale yellow margins. As the plant matures, those edges start to pick up a whisper of pink.
9. Black Rose Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’
Height/Spread: 12-36/10-18 inches
Long, gray-brown stems support huge rosettes of shiny purple leaves. They’re so deeply colored that the whole plant appears black from afar. Star-shaped yellow flowers add a vibrant contrast.
10. Irish Rose
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum
Height/Spread: 5-8 inches
Glossy, spoon-shaped green leaves often shimmer with coppery overtones. Give it plenty of direct sun, and the color deepens even further.
11. Giant Red Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Cyclops’
Height/Spread: 24-48/6-10 inches
Fresh growth starts out green, then matures into a rich red-bronze. This fast-grower sends up clusters of starry yellow flowers that make a dramatic statement.
12. Red Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Jack Catlin’
Height/Spread: 12-24/6-10 inches
Lovely clumps of rosettes show off green centers that bleed into fiery red tips. The coloring intensifies with age, making it a real showpiece.
13. Saucer Plant
Botanical Name: Aeonium tabuliforme
Height/Spread: 2-6/6-10 inches
Imagine a flat, oversized plate of layered, rounded leaves in soft green, arranged in a mesmerizing swirl. Unlike most aeoniums, this one prefers protection from harsh direct sunlight.
14. Smith’s Giant Houseleek
Botanical Name: Aeonium smithii
Height/Spread: 12-24/6-16 inches
Don’t let the ‘small’ label fool you—it can reach up to two feet tall. Spoon-shaped leaves feel glossy and velvety, often tinged with purple or brown, and it produces sunny yellow flowers.
15. Blushing Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Blushing Beauty’
Height/Spread: 6-12/4-8 inches
An award-winner for good reason. Glossy, light green, spoon-shaped leaves sport a delicate red rim, and in spring, tiny star-shaped blossoms appear.
16. Aeonium Decorum
Botanical Name: Aeonium decorum
Height/Spread: 12-36/6-8 inches
This branching beauty features leaves edged in red and pink flowers. Its famous offspring ‘Sunburst’ flaunts variegated foliage in green, creamy yellow, and blush pink.
17. Canary Island Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium canariense
Height/Spread: 6-10/4-8 inches
Short stems hold rosettes of green that can sprawl up to 18 to 20 inches across. When they finally bloom, enormous pyramids of yellow flowers steal the show.
18. Kiwi Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium haworthii ‘Kiwi’
Height/Spread: 12-36/8-14 inches
Small, tidy rosettes feature spoon-shaped, fleshy leaves in a yellow-green hue, each one outlined in red. Clusters of tiny star-shaped flowers pop up in season.
19. Mardi Gras
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’
Height/Spread: 4-6/3-7 inches
This one lives up to its festive name with yellow and green variegated rosettes. In bright light, those colors shift to deep burgundy—truly one of the best aeoniums around.
20. Velour
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum ‘Velour’
Height/Spread: 4-8/3-4 inches
Branching stems carry decorative rosettes of thick, glossy leaves in shades from dark purple to rich chocolate. A perennial upright grower that adds velvety drama.
21. Moonburst
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Moonburst’
Height/Spread: 4-6/4-8 inches
Moonburst shines with green leaves striped in cream and yellow, finished with pink edges. Its compact, shorter leaves make the variegation especially crisp and eye-catching.
22. Firerose Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium garnet ‘firerose’
Height/Spread: 4-8/4-6 inches
Deep bronze-burgundy rosettes glow around a greenish-yellow heart. In spring, older rosettes send up erect, cone-shaped yellow flower clusters.
23. Starburst
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Starburst’
Height/Spread: 12-24/8-16 inches
Pink edges and light yellow streaks dance across the fleshy green leaves, creating a starburst pattern. It’s a natural choice for rock gardens.
24. Suncups
Botanical Name: Aeonium castello-paivae ‘Variegata’
Height/Spread: 10-16/6-10 inches
Small rosettes multiply into tidy clumps with plenty of offsets. When grown in full sun, the green and yellow leaves blush with pink edges.
25. Aeonium Viscatum
Botanical Name: Aeonium lindleyi subsp. viscatum
Height/Spread: 16-20/8-14 inches
Covered in fine velvety hairs, the green leaves give this perennial a soft texture. It starts a little wild when young but matures into a neat, compact form.
26. Plum Petals Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Plum Petals’
Height/Spread: 12-36/8-16 inches
Spatula-shaped, plum-colored leaves form striking rosettes on this shrubby succulent. In spring, bright yellow blooms hover above the dark foliage.
27. Aeonium Albovariegatum
Botanical Name: Aeonium arboreum ‘Albovariegatum’
Height/Spread: 12-28/8-16 inches
A petite stunner, it unfurls a variegated rosette rimmed in rich pink-red and accented with creamy tones.
28. Green Rose Buds
Botanical Name: Aeonium aureum
Height/Spread: 4-8/3-7 inches
Picture a bright green rosette cuddling tiny offsets at its base, like little unopened rose buds. An adorable and uplifting sight.
29. Fiesta Aeonium
Botanical Name: Aeonium ‘Fiesta’
Height/Spread: 8-12/4-8 inches
This spectacular variegated type starts with a large light green rosette. As the outer leaves mature, they darken to a rich maroon, creating a stunning two-tone effect.
