Aichryson laxum aka Tree Of Love

Aichryson laxum is a short-lived plant in the Crassulaceae family. Its common name is tree of love. It comes from the Canary Islands, where the climate is subtropical. It does not occur on Lanzarote and may be absent from Fuerteventura. It has also become naturalized in Portugal’s Serra de Sintra. Wild plants form colonies in damp, shaded sites. They grow in rock cracks, on wet cliffs, and along shady slopes. They also grow in humid laurel and pine woods. Some take root on damp town walls or grow as epiphytes.

This semi-succulent herb most often lives for two years. Some plants complete their life cycle in one year. Plants usually stand 0.5–1.3 feet [0.15–0.4 metres] tall. Rare plants reach about 2.6 feet [0.8 metres]. The plant has a fragile build, with upright, forked stems. The lower branches become a little woody. Soft, short hairs cover the stems and leaves. Leaves gather into loose rosettes at the stem tips. Their green colour can shift toward red in strong light.

The leaves have broad egg or diamond shapes and blunt tips. Each blade narrows into a clear, slender leaf stalk. The widest part lies toward the base. Leaves can reach about 0.25 feet [0.075 metres] long. Their edges lack black glands, and their hairs lack glandular tips. The name laxum refers to the leaves’ loose, soft form. Branched flower clusters carry as many as 50 yellow blooms. Each flower has a star shape and narrow, pointed petals. Flowering runs from April through June.

Flowering marks the end of the plant’s usual life cycle. This makes it monocarpic: it normally dies after blooming. Removing the flower cluster as blooms fade may prevent this. Plants often leave self-sown seedlings nearby after they flower. The yellow flower display gives the plant its main garden appeal. Yet growers seldom cultivate it, perhaps because of its short life. Its tendency to seed itself can also give it a weedy presence.

In cultivation, give it moist soil with plenty of humus. Light shade suits it, though it tolerates much deeper shade. Keep fertilizer use low. Winter care differs from care during active growth. Give it a cool indoor spot with more sun. Keep it fairly dry then, and protect it from frost. The supplied sources do not describe fruit, pests, or diseases. They also give no evidence for edible uses or toxicity.