Aeonium Mary Ann Kunkel

Aeonium 'Mary Ann Kunkel' is a succulent plant native to the Canary Islands, with a strikingly attractive architectural silhouette. With its very upright habit and short, branched stems ending in rosettes of leaves of various sizes, this perennial eventually resembles a bonsai. Its thick, overlapping leaves have a bright green or slightly bluish colour, often enhanced by a pinkish-purple margin. Only tolerating brief frosts down to -4°C, this Aeonium can only be planted outdoors in very mild climates. Very compact, it can easily be grown in a pot elsewhere, to be sheltered in winter.

Aeoniums belong to the Crassulaceae family, which includes 30 genera and nearly 1400 species. Often small, these plants are particularly well adapted to drought conditions, due to their unique metabolism in the plant kingdom. Many genera therefore thrive in warm regions around the world, like Echeveria, widely found in Mexico and commonly used in mosaic planting. Others are perfectly cold-resistant, such as Sedum (Stonecrop), which embellishes our gardens and is suitable for green roofs. There are 45 Aeonium species, all sharing a family resemblance, especially as some have hybridised with each other.
This is the case with Aeonium 'Mary Ann Kunkel', named in honour of his wife by the German botanist Günther W.H. Kunkel, a specialist in arid zones and a prolific author with 70 books to his name. While the exact parentage of this Aeonium is not known, it is likely the result of a cross between A. percarneum var. guiaense and A. mascaense. The former, native to Gran Canaria, has many branches and is not overly sensitive to humidity. The latter, which seems to have disappeared in the wild, originated from Tenerife and now only exists in cultivation, appreciated for its numerous rosettes that give it an extremely dense appearance.
'Mary Ann Kunkel' has a very unusual very upright habit for this type of plant, forming a highly ornamental cone shape. The fleshy main stems rise almost vertically, branching laterally to produce short shoots. Each is terminated by a rosette of leaves, of varying diameters, giving this hybrid its unique character. Like in other species, the leaves are overlapped in an almost mathematical geometric pattern that adds interest to the plant. The succulent leaves are spatulate. Narrow at the point of insertion, they widen significantly in the upper third, ending in a V-shape at their tips. Their colour is usually a beautiful bright green, but depending on the individuals, season, or climate, they may also display a slight glaucous or greyish aspect. The leaf is often edged with an elegant pink-to-purple margin, enhancing the leaf's architectural design. Additionally, the leaf may bear a dark midrib line during summer, often disappearing in winter. While the foliage is the plant's main attraction, it can also produce a summer flowering with stalks bearing corymbs of small white-yellow star-shaped flowers.

Aeonium 'Mary Ann Kunkel' is particularly appealing for its contemporary look, thanks to its highly sculptural appeal. You can cultivate it in a pot to protect it in winter and decorate your terrace in the warmer months, alongside other orangery plants, such as Calamondin (Citrus madurensis) or Indoor Orange Tree, with its pleasantly fragrant white blooms and tangy fruits appreciated in cooking. In the mildest areas, it will be a standout feature in a well-exposed and sheltered rockery. Plant it in the foreground of a Dasylirion, whose equally striking silhouette will elegantly contrast with it. Place beside it an Aloe 'Safari Sunrise', with its dark green, slender foliage and generous white to salmon-tinged flowering, for a stunning scene.