Irish Rose

The Irish Rose, scientifically known as Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ (though sometimes simply referred to as Aeonium ‘Zwartkop’), is a stunning and popular succulent often mistaken for a flower due to its deep coloration. While it carries the “rose” in its common name, it is a succulent originating from the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa, where it thrives in a mild, Mediterranean climate with cool, humid winters and dry summers. It prefers well-drained soil and can tolerate full sun to partial shade, often looking its best with some protection from intense afternoon sun in hot climates like Phoenix.

As a long-lived perennial, the Irish Rose grows as a shrub-like succulent, forming multiple stems that can branch and reach heights of 3 to 5 feet, creating a striking, architectural presence. Its most distinctive characteristic is its large, tightly packed rosettes of leaves that grow at the tips of its branches. The leaves are a mesmerizing deep, dark reddish-purple to almost black color, especially when exposed to ample sunlight, which gives it its dramatic appeal and the “Zwartkop” (black head) in its name. The color can lighten to green in shadier conditions. Each fleshy leaf is often slightly spoon-shaped and has fine, soft cilia along its edges. While primarily grown for its dramatic foliage, mature plants will eventually produce tall, conical flower stalks from the center of a rosette, typically in late winter to spring, adorned with numerous small, star-shaped, bright yellow flowers. After flowering, that specific rosette will die, but the plant continues to live and branch from other rosettes. The Irish Rose is an excellent choice for adding vertical interest and bold color to xeriscapes, succulent gardens, containers, and borders, prized for its unique dark foliage and architectural form.