Synonyms:

Aldasorea goochiae
Sempervivum goochiae

Habitat:

Aeonium goochiae is native to Canary Island, specifically the island of La Gomera, where the plant thrive in cliff faces and rocky outcrops and can be found up to 700 m of altitude. In its habitat the summer droughts force the plant into a semi-dormant state, for the rest of the year, it receives moderate rainfall. This species grows on volcanic soils mineral-rich and well-draining.

Description:

Aeonium goochiae is a small rosette-forming succulent belonging to the Crassulaceae botanical family. The plant is densely branched and the plant in age forms small clumps of rosettes. The stem is erect, slender, woody and can reach up to 30 cm in height. The rosette can be close or open, can reach up to 6 cm in diameter and are made of leaves arranged in a geometrically way. The leaves are spoon-shaped, fleshy, tapered toward the base, pale green to dark green in color. Under stress conditions the leaves can turn red around the edges giving an extra appealing appearance to the plant. Some plants like Aeonium goochiae developed strategies to withstand environmental challenges like dryness. This species, for example, has a layer of short and soft hairs on the bottom face of the leaves that helps in drought resistance hindering the evaporation. The blooming occurs during the spring and the blossom are borne on tall and slender stalks that emerge from the center of the rosettes. The flowers are star-shaped, 1 cm in diameter, white to yellow in color with pinkish hues in the center. Like many Aeonium species, this plant is monocarpic, meaning that the rosette that flowers will eventually die after flowering. However, the plant usually produces enough offsets to continue growing after the flowering rosette has perished.

Cultivation:

This is a slow growing plant, easy to cultivate. The plant prefers a partial to full sunlight exposure but is recommended some afternoon shade during the hottest periods to prevent leaf scorch. to avoid direct sun-light. The plant does not like temperatures below 10°C so it needs to be placed indoors in the coldest periods. The soil should be mixed with pumice, clay and loam to allow for drainage and prevent root rot, as the plant is prone to it. Remember to use a perforated pot to drain excess water. Watering can be done regularly in spring and summer: during the vegetative period you can water the plant every 14 days, checking that the soil is completely dry before watering again. In winter you should stop the watering to allow the plant to enter dormancy. If you want a faster and lusher growth, you can fertilize the plant once a month during the growing season with specific fertilizers for succulents; stop fertilizing throughout the winter. If the pot becomes too small for the plant, you can repot it in a pot that is 2 cm wider. Repotting should be done early in the growing season with fresh new compost. Be careful to red spiders and scale insect. For mealybugs, you can remove them with a paintbrush dipped in alcohol, or if large numbers are present, you may use an insecticide.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done through offsets or cuttings. When propagating through cuttings, make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry. After a few days, the cut surface will dry, and a callus will form. Place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil, and pumice. To increase the success of propagation, you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings, it is recommended to maintain temperatures around 20°C. Propagation by offset is a simple method to propagate the plant. Cut an offset and then let it dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. Another propagation method is by seeds, although this process is slower and less common among home growers. Seeds should be sown in a well-draining soil mix and kept in a warm, bright location, but germination can take several weeks.

Curiosity:

The specific epithet “goochiae” is a tribute to Mrs. Gooch, who was the mother of Philip Barker Webb (1793–1854), a distinguished English botanist and plant collector. Webb was notable for his extensive botanical work across Mediterranean Europe, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. The use of his mother’s maiden name in the epithet reflects a common practice in taxonomy, where species are often named in honor of individuals who have influenced or supported the work of scientists, in this case, Webb’s own mother.

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