Aeonium undulatum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aeonium undulatum |
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Aeonium
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undulatum
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Aeonium undulatum is a cool plant often called the Saucer Plant. It is a type of succulent, which means it stores water in its thick leaves. This helps it live in dry places. It stays green all year round and produces beautiful flowers. The Saucer Plant belongs to a group of plants called the Crassulaceae family.
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What is the Saucer Plant?
The Saucer Plant is a kind of subshrub, which is like a small shrub. It is one of the larger types of Aeonium plants. Its name, undulatum, comes from Latin and means "wavy." This describes the shape of its leaves.
How it Looks
This plant has a large, flat group of leaves called a rosette. This rosette looks a bit like a saucer and can be about 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) wide. The leaves are bright, shiny green. The rosette often sits on a single, tall stem that can be over a metre (about 3 feet) high. Unlike many other Aeonium plants, new rosettes usually grow from the bottom of the plant, not from the main stem.
Its Flowers
The Saucer Plant is special because it is monocarpic. This means it flowers only once in its life, usually after about five years. When it flowers, a tall stem grows from the centre of the rosette. This stem produces many small, yellow flowers grouped together in what is called an inflorescence. After the plant flowers and makes seeds, the main stem and rosette will die.
Where the Saucer Plant Lives
The Aeonium undulatum is a native plant. This means it naturally grows in a specific place. It is also endemic to that area. This means it is found only there and nowhere else in the world. The Saucer Plant grows naturally on Gran Canaria, which is one of the Canary Islands.
Growing Your Own Saucer Plant
If you want to grow a Saucer Plant in cooler places, you can keep it indoors in a greenhouse or a sunny window. It needs special soil, like cactus soil, that drains water very well. This plant loves lots of sunshine, but it can also grow in partial shade. In warmer parts of the US, like zones 10 and 11, it can grow outside all year.
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Inflorescence
See also
In Spanish: Aeonium undulatum para niños
