If you take a deep dive into the humanity of succulents , you promptly let out how incredibly varied and engrossing these plants can be .
One particular wonder you ’ll notice is that some species bloom and fruit just once , and then they die .
If you ’ve ever grown a kalanchoe that bloomed attractively and then died , then you ’ve meet a monocarpic plant .
It ’s worth enquire whether a succulent is monocarpic before you bestow it to your collection , because this knowledge can interchange your produce plan or techniques .
Plus , you wo n’t be surprised if your succulent seemed entirely healthy and after blossom forth it dropped idle .
In this guide , we ’ll explain what monocarpism is and which succulents fall into this class . Here ’s the lean of species we ’ll go over :
9 Monocarpic Succulents
Before we look at the list , let ’s clarify some terms .
The word “ monocarpic ” can be broken down into two : monoandcarpic . In Greek , mono translate to one or single and karpos means fruit .
That does n’t mean the plant only produces one prime , it cite to those metal money that flower just one time and then the lifecycle terminate .
Some gardeners call this the “ expiry rosiness , ” which I think is a term that should be accompanied by a recondite phonation and shuddery music .
Monocarpic plants are also referred to as suicidally reproductive or , falsely , hapaxanthicorsemelparous .
Those latter two term technically refer to species that havestemsthat decease after flowering , not the entire plant life .
A true monocarpic plant comes from a single zygote and the entire works die after it blooms . If a coinage only die back partially , or new growth emerges from the ancestor , it ’s not monocarpic .
Why does this happen ? To sympathize it , we demand to do a brief lesson in botany . All plants haveapical meristems , which are specialized groups of cubicle creditworthy for growth .
In monocarpic succulent , the apical meristem produce vegetative development throughout the industrial plant ’s life .
Then , as it reaches matureness , the apical meristems change and start producing the flower shank , or inflorescence .
This switch from vegetative growth to bloom production is irreversible , so the apical meristems can no longer produce foliage , so when the flower fades and seeds are produced , the succulent go .
Monocarpic succulents typically transmit out puppy or plantlets , which are transmissible clones , before they die . These plantlets develop their own ascendant system and uprise independently of the parent .
Some succulents are erroneously consider to be monocarpic . Echeveria , mostcrassula , peperomia , and sedum are all polycarpic .
Let ’s take a look at nine monocarpic succulent in more contingent :
1. Aeonium
Most tree houseleeks ( Aeoniumspp . ) are monocarpic , but not all . Those with a rosette where a undivided blossom stalk emerges from the mall are probable the character that flower once and die .
In fact , just don that yours is monocarpic unless you see otherwise . Those with multiple stubble or catherine wheel - similar growth are likely not .
The name “ Aeonium ” issue forth from the ancient Grecian word aiōnios , which means ageless .
This is a nod to the fact that they do n’t seem to give way . or else , they transmit out plantlet ringer that cover their lifecycle . The original specimen might perish , but the clones keep on going .
Most amount from the Canary Islands , but they ’ve become popular garden plants in Zones 9 to 11 and houseplant around the world .
2. Agave
Agaveis the genus that give way us tequila , syrup , and maintenance - spare ornamentals for USDA Growing zone 7 to 12 , depending on the species .
These succulent are typically dim maturate with thick , minute leaves and originated in the Americas , though you ’ll witness them across the globe .
Not allAgavespecies are monocarpic . In fact , most are polycarpic , but they have sections that blossom and die , which can cause some disarray among gardeners .
Of of course , the famous century plant life ( A. americana ) flowers once after decades of growth and then dies . If I had to venture , this would be one of the more noted monocarpic century plant .
Palmer ’s agave ( A. palmeri ) , Caribbean agave ( A. angustifolia ) , foxtail grass ( A. attenuata ) , dolphin agave ( A. guiengola ) , and drab ( A. tequilana ) are all monocarpic .
An easy , though not totally unfailing , way of life to tell if an agave is monocarpic is to await at its growth habit . If the leaves issue from a primal basal rosette , it ’s potential to be monocarpic .
Plant taxonomy is constantly change . Just when you think you know where a species fits in the compartmentalization system it exchange .
Manfredais one such genus . Some experts classify the species in this genus asPolianthes , and others stick it inAgave . Right now , most are classified in theAgavegenus .
Whatever you call them , not manyManfredaspecies are monocarpic , but a few are . Use the same guideline in define their growth radiation diagram as you would with agave .
you could study more about agave in our guide .
3. Aichryson
Aichrysonis a genus of understory succulent indigenous to the Canary Islands , the Azores , and Morocco .
They are n’t near as pop in cultivation as theirAeoiumandSempervivumcousins .
That ’s partially because they ’re only intrepid in Zones 9 to 11 and unlike many succulent , they opt moist soil and cool conditions .
ButAichrysonspecies make fantabulous houseplant and gardeners in regions like the Pacific Northwest , mid - Atlantic , or Pacific Coast should definitely give them a chance .
This genus comprises two sections : AichrysonandMacrobia . religious sect . Macrobiaonly admit the species gouty houseleek ( A. tortuosum ) , which is a polycarpic recurrent uncommon in cultivation .
All of the other species in the genus belong to sect . Aichyrsonand these are all monocarpic .
They can fill in shaded surface area but will adapt to full sun , and they ’ll add bright coloration with their neon yellow flush .
4. False Agave
Species in theFurcraeagenus , commonly bonk as sham American aloe , are all monocarpic and they ’re not afraid to show it .
When they finally form , the flower stubble can be 40 metrical unit tall or more . Mauritius hemp ( F. foetida ) , for exercise , grows just a few feet marvelous but the heyday stem is 25 feet improbable .
These succulent originated in Mexico , Central America , northern South America , and the Caribbean , but they ’ve naturalized in warm areas of North America , Africa , Australia , and India .
They can be cultivated in Zones 8 to 12 , depending on the species .
The works in this genus look a lot like agave , as you might have guessed . plant scientist tell the two apart by looking at the flowers .
century plant have toll - mold blooming whereFurcraeaflowers are bulbous . To the home gardener , it ’s passably unmanageable to severalise the two aside .
5. Jovibarba
Many phytologist considerJovibarbato be a defunct genus , with the three species formerly classified asJovibarbareclassified asSempervivum .
I ’m cite this former genus on an individual basis because Job ’s beard or Jupiter ’s beard , as these plant are commonly live , are often still bring up to asJovibarba .
All of these are monocarpic , place out tube-shaped , bell - shaped blooms before they die . But they do n’t regurgitate like some of the other metal money on this leaning .
Instead , S. hueffeliiforms pups inside of the mother plant . They do n’t come forth unless you cut the industrial plant open with a tongue to exhibit them or you lease the mother die after flowering .
OnS. globiferaandS. hirta , little offsets rise that detach from the parent and ramble aside . That ’s why these two mintage are often called “ rolling wave . ”
These succulent grow in Zones 5 to 11 , and are indigenous to the mountains of southeast Europe .
6. Kalanchoe
Some , but not all , Kalanchoespecies are monocarpic .
The often throw flapjacksK. luciaeandK. thyrsiflora , along withmother of thousand ( K. daigremontiana)flower once and die .
Many hybrids like ‘ Pink Butterflies ’ and gator works ( K.×houghtonii ) are also monocarpic .
It can be hard to tell by looking at a specimen if it ’s a monocarpic one or not , but if the leaves spring up out of a single master shank , the species is likely monocarpic .
But this does n’t always employ , so you ’ll need to explore the specific species or loan-blend if you need to know for sure .
Most are indigenous to Madagascar and Africa , but they have naturalized in many parts of the world and are popular as houseplants and garden plants .
Our scout to growing kalanchoes has more information .
7. Orostachys
Orostachysis a genus of succulent often err for echeveria , sedums , or hens and chicks .
These plants originated in Asia and Russia , and thrive in comparatively coolheaded climate from Zones 4a to 9a . They have small clustering of pink and whitened flowers that come out during the summer or declination .
Most species in this genus are polycarpic and the prime will look year after yr , but there are a few exception .
Formosan dunce cap ( O. boehmeri , O. iwarenge , andO. furusei ) , rock true pine ( O. japonica ) , and spinous pennywort ( O. spinosa ) bloom once and then pop off .
The uncommonO. malacophyllavar.malacophylla , O. maximowiczii , andO. gorovoiiare monocarpic as well .
Orostachysspecies run to cursorily form dense bunch of rosettes , so when one blooms and go bad , it ’s scarcely noticeable among the XII of remaining rosettes .
8. Sempervivum
It should come as no surprise thatSempervivumspecies are monocarpic .
“ Semper ” signify “ always ” and “ vivus ” means “ life ” in Latin . So these succulent hold out forever . Or , at least , they have the ability to continually put out new plants to substitute the one that die .
Hens and chicks can have some stunning blossoms . But when they seem , it signify that the flora is nearing the end of its life .
This is genuine of all species in this genus . Thank good they send out so many piffling “ biddy ” to replace the give-up the ghost parent .
Of course , these are n’t actually chicks , nor is the chief plant a hen . In the world of botany , the chicks are cognise as offsets . They take form on recollective horizontal stem called stolons .
The freshly forming flora receive a spot in the soil , settles in , and develops root . When it has roots in place , the runner dies and the offset is now a plant in its own right field . These offsets are clones of the parent .
As the plant matures , it eventually recrudesce star - shaped flowers in pink , red , yellow , or livid .
These efflorescence give elbow room to fruit with seeds , and then the plant dies . Some species live only a few years , and some inhabit a decade or more . you may find options for Zones 3 to 11 .
Learn more about hens and chicks in our growing guide .
9. Yucca
The vast majority ofYuccaandHesperoyuccaspecies are polycarpic , but a few are n’t .
Among the monocarpic metal money , chaparral yucca ( Y. whippleisyn . Hesperoyucca whipplei ) grows a gorgeous ten - foot - grandiloquent bloom chaff with hundreds of white , pinkish , or purple campana - form flowers .
Adam ’s phonograph needle yucca ( Y. filamentosa)has forgetful , less showy inflorescences .
Newberry ’s yucca ( H. newberryi ) is monocarpic and peninsular candle ( H. peninsularis ) can be either mono- or polycarpic , depending on the plant and the surroundings .
What ’s with the two genera , you might be asking . Hesperoyuccais a genus of just three species were formerly classified asYuccaand mostly , they ’re still called yuccas .
To the home grower , they ’re indistinguishable . In reality , even botanists do n’t agree on how the plant in these two genus should be assort .
The sorting of chaparral yucca , for illustration , is still a hot subject of debate .
you may get a line more about yucca plants in our growing guide .
You Only Live Once
I ca n’t severalise you how many prison term someone has complained about losing a favourite succulent and assumed they had done something amiss .
It ’s just the nature of some succulent to bloom once and then give-up the ghost .
Have you produce a plant that drop dead after flowering and did it ab initio disconcert you ? Or are you concerned in learning more about the fascinating world of succulents ?
If youwant to learn more about succulent , and who could charge you , here are a few guides to sum to your meter reading list :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Kristine Lofgren
