Please Help Me ID This Plant

EliPChinstrap · Post by **EliPChinstrap** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:02 pm

I ordered a cactus as a gift about a month ago, and this is what showed up. I'm pretty sure it's not a cactus, but may be a succulent. In any event, I just want to know what it is, so I can know how to care for it.

We kept it inside for three weeks or so and did not water it at all. Then about a week ago, we moved it outside and gave it some water. Those brown spots first appeared a few days after we moved and watered it. I want to make sure that we give it enough water, but I'm afraid to give it too much water because it looks like it didn't respond all that well when we did water it.

I live in Los Angeles, CA if that makes any difference or helps you identify what kind of plant this might be. Any help / information / advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

PapaBearJay · Post by **PapaBearJay** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:14 pm

Aeonium sp.

EliPChinstrap · Post by **EliPChinstrap** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:17 am

Thanks very much for the quick reply. I googled "Aeonium sp." and that does appear to be exactly what I've got here.

The bit if research that I've done so far says that these plants grow (and require more frequent watering) during the winter months (i.e., now). Specifically, it says they should be "well watered and allowed to dry before watering again." Does this mean once a week? More frequent? Less frequent?

Also, I assume "well watered" means enough to saturate the soil, but not so much that there's any standing water on the surface (there are drainage holes at the bottom of the pot, so I'm not too worried about the latter problem). Is that correct?

Also, any ideas on what might have caused those brown spots shown in the pictures? They only appeared after we moved it outside and watered it for the first time.

Thanks again!

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:18 am

Yes its an Aeonium, maybe a hybrid.
Those spots are from sunburn, it obviously hadnt seen full sun for awhile.
This is a winter growing plant so it should start to respond to water now, try and keep the soil dry in the heat of summer.

EliPChinstrap · Post by **EliPChinstrap** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 12:23 am

Thanks, Tony. Very helpful. Will it build up a tolerance to the amount of sun it's getting now (such that it won't keep getting spots like that)? Or should I move it to a shadier location?

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:40 am

Yes it will. I have something that looks similar, maybe even the exact same plant, growing in both full sun all year and in total shade except for maybe three months in summer.
The shaded plants get much larger, and dont take on the red tint that the full sun plant does.
But I know from experience that when I have taken full sized offset cuttings from the plant grown in the shade and put them into full sun straight away, they burn like that but will adapt eventually.
Its best to start them off with two to three hours of morning sun and then increase it slowly every few weeks if possible.