Origin:
Derived from a spontaneous mutation of the Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere’.
Known names:
‘Yanning‘ — the most common international name; ‘Yan Ning‘; ‘Yanning Variegated‘; 艳凝; 艷凝; 艳凝法师; 艷凝法師; 绿羊绒锦; 绿羊绒覆轮锦; ‘Green Cashmere Variegated‘. The term ‘Green Cashmere Covered Wheel Brocade‘ is a descriptive translation and not an actual cultivar name.
Creation date / Creator:
Variegated mutation of Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere‘ discovered on September 17, 2017, by Mr. Gongsun Guolin in his greenhouse in Dali, Yunnan, China. Its first vegetative propagation took place the following year. The name 艳凝, transcribed as ‘Yanning‘, was suggested by Xiaofei and then approved by its discoverer.
History of the origin of Aeonium ‘Yanning’
Source: information provided by Xiaofei (OniGarden), gathered directly from Mr. Gongsun Guolin.
The story of the Aeonium ‘Yanning’ begins on September 17, 2017, when Mr. Gongsun Guolin noticed a slight variegation on a rosette of an Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere’ grown in his greenhouse.
Aware of the potential of this mutation, he decided to remove all the non-variegated rosettes so the plant could focus its energy on this single promising rosette.
A few weeks later, in early October 2017, the plant produced several young offshoots. Despite their very small size, some already showed the first signs of stable variegation, confirming that the mutation is indeed transmissible to the new growths.
In January 2018, the young rosettes had grown enough to allow the first propagations. To speed up the spread of this new variety, Mr. Gongsun Guolin practiced decapitating the main rosette as well as a shoot.
A few months later, in May 2018, the accidental loss of a rosette provided an opportunity to try leaf cuttings. To the grower’s surprise, this technique produced two new plants, a relatively rare result for Aeonium variegata.
In August 2018, several dozen specimens were already in cultivation. Observations made during this period confirmed that the variegation is stable and heritable, paving the way for the gradual spread of this new horticultural creation.
The origin of its name
The name ‘Yanning’ was chosen by Xiaofei, a Chinese Aeonium grower and a key figure in the spread of many modern cultivars.
The term 艳凝 (Yàn Níng) can be interpreted as « beautiful and dignified » or evoke an elegant and refined beauty, a name that perfectly reflects the aesthetics of this variety.
And finally, here’s what has become of the part of the Green Cashmere where ‘Yanning’ was born.
Botanical description
The Aeonium ‘Yanning’ is a variegated shrub Aeonium resulting from a mutation of the Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere’. It retains the overall shape of its parent while developing particularly bright and regular variegation.
In the winter period, when the light is lower, the leaves show:
- a wide green central stripe;
- two side zones in cream-white to pale yellow, distributed fairly evenly.
This arrangement gives the rosettes a very elegant contrast, immediately recognizable.
Under brighter light, the edges of the leaves gradually take on red shades, providing a combination of green, cream, and red that is particularly prized by collectors.
Like its parent ‘Green Cashmere’, the Aeonium ‘Yanning’ also gives off a distinctive scent, especially noticeable when the foliage is handled.
Growth and behavior
Observations since its discovery show that the Aeonium ‘Yanning’ grows noticeably slower than its parent.
According to Xiaofei, its growth rate is about half that of ‘Green Cashmere’, which partly explains its still relatively limited spread.
Its main cultivation characteristics are as follows:
- Growth: slow to moderate;
- Ability to sprout: good;
- Vigor: decent despite slower growth;
- Fragility: no particular sensitivity has been observed so far, except for its natural sensitivity to frost.
PHOTOS WINTER PERIOD
PHOTOS SUMMER PERIOD
Reversions
Like many variegated Aeoniums, ‘Yanning’ can occasionally produce reversions, meaning shoots that are completely green and have lost their variegation.
These offshoots then show all the characteristics of Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere’ and can be removed to preserve the vigor of the variegated part.
Observing these reversions is also botanically interesting because they directly illustrate the close genetic link between ‘Yanning’ and its original cultivar.
A founding variety of the ‘Green Cashmere’ lineage
Discovered as early as 2017, Aeonium ‘Yanning’ is among the first major variegated mutations from Aeonium ‘Green Cashmere’. Its appearance has greatly helped demonstrate the exceptional potential of this genetic line, which later gave rise to many iconic cultivars such as ‘Maybach‘, ‘Glaze‘, ‘Sinya’, and ‘Zhi Fou‘.
For its historical significance as much as for its elegance, ‘Yanning’ remains today an essential variety for understanding the recent evolution of Chinese variegated Aeoniums.
