If you love succulents that put on a colour show, Kiwi Aeonium will delight you. Also known as Tricolour Pinwheel or Dream Colour, this stunning evergreen succulent shrub forms a dense, low-growing mound of branching stems, each topped with a perfect, compact rosette of fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves. Those leaves feature a captivating blend: soft, luminous yellow-green at the centre, maturing to rich, vibrant green, and edged with a brilliant ribbon of pink or deep rose-red that intensifies in the sun. In late spring to summer, mature plants may produce clusters of small, star-shaped, creamy-yellow flowers on tall stems.
Originating from the Canary Islands, Kiwi Aeonium is perfectly suited to the Western Cape’s winter-rainfall climate. It thrives in full sun to partial shade—morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal, especially in hotter inland gardens, as harsh direct sun can scorch the delicate leaf edges, while too little light causes the pink margins to fade. It demands very well-drained, sandy or gritty soil. Unlike many succulents, its active growing period is from autumn to spring, needing regular watering then, going partially dormant in summer with very little water. It’s only hardy to light frost and needs protection in colder inland valleys. Reaching 30–60cm tall and wide, it’s perfect for containers, rock gardens, or succulent arrangements.
Key Features:
- Rosettes of green and creamy yellow leaves dramatically edged in pink to rusty red
- Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for outstanding performance
- Water-wise; thrives with moderate water in winter-spring, drier in summer
- Ideal for containers, rockeries, or as a colourful textural accent
Gardening Note: Plant in well-drained, sandy or cactus soil in morning sun with afternoon shade for the most vibrant colour. Water regularly during winter-spring, allowing soil to dry between waterings; keep much drier during summer dormancy. Protect from severe frost. This plant is monocarpic—once a mature rosette flowers, that rosette dies, but the rest continues. Easily propagated from stem cuttings.
