I haven’t talked too much about my intergeneric hybrids on here yet mostly due to personal reasons, but I’ve been creating dozens behind the scenes that I do want to share at some point. Here are a few of my newer x Aeonichryson made with Aichryson tortuosum.

With most Aeonium clade crosses, whether it be interspecific or intergeneric, it is rare to get true intermediate-looking hybrids (ones which look like a 50/50 split between both parents). Instead, there is typically one parent which phenotypically dominates the other, resulting in their hybrid progeny looking much more like said dominant parent. 

Not only that, but many species are often *consistently* dominant when hybridizing. Examples of this include species like Aeonium simsii, Aeonium volkeri, and Aeonium mascaense - which are so extremely domineering that sometimes their own hybrids will get confused as the pure species, due to the resemblance being so strong. 

So far most Aichryson species have shown a tendency to outcompete Aeonium in the appearance of their intergeneric hybrids… except Aichryson tortuosum. Aichryson tortuosum is a strange species in general and has reflected this strangeness in the behavior of its hybrids. Tortuosum is one of the least-dominant species I’ve ever worked with, not just with Aichryson but with Aeonium and Monanthes too. Those familiar with Aeonium and their hybrids can probably tell fairly easily what Aeonium species were used in each of these crosses.  These plants are probably the most Aeonium-looking x Aeonichryson I’ve ever created.

That being said, there are still a few tortuosum traits which tend to shine through - like miniaturization, thicker leaves, a fine layer of pubescence, and purple/burgundy blush. And thankfully these hybrids should all be reliably perennial, rather than short-lived like the majority of the rest of the x Aeonichryson I’ve created so far… so there’s a good chance you’ll see some of these make it into cultivation at some point in the future. 

x Aeonichryson (Aeonium x Aichryson) hybrids using Aichryson tortuosum