Aeonium ‘Glowworm’: Origin, Poker Face and Characteristics

Origin:
Derived from a reversion of Aeonium ‘Pink Daisy’, itself derived from a mutation of Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’.

Known names:
‘Glowworm’ (the most widely used name), ‘Firefly’, ‘Pink & Black Firefly’, ‘Mo Dai’, ‘Modai’ (墨黛).

Creation date / Breeder:
2018 (China).

Botanical description

Aeonium ‘Glowworm’ is a shrubby variegated Aeonium of the “Poker Face” type, derived from a partial reversion of Aeonium ‘Pink Daisy’. Rather than a completely distinct variety in the strict sense, it is a particular and unstable expression of ‘Pink Daisy’, characterized by an irregular distribution of chlorophyll within the rosette.

It retains the general characteristics of ‘Pink Daisy’ but displays far less uniform variegation. Where ‘Pink Daisy’ has regular coloring, ‘Glowworm’ develops irregular green areas that may appear on only a few leaves or cover much of the rosette.

Each plant, and even each rosette, therefore has a unique pattern, which explains its popularity among collectors.

The “Poker Face” phenomenon

Aeonium ‘Glowworm’ is one of the clearest examples of the phenomenon known as “Poker Face,” a term used by collectors for a partial reversion of variegation.

This mutation causes chlorophyll to reappear locally, creating foliage that combines:

green areas of varying size;
pink sections;
cream or yellow sectors.

This color mosaic changes continually as the plant grows. A single rosette may gradually alter its appearance over several months, making every plant genuinely distinctive.

An extremely unstable cultivar

Aeonium ‘Glowworm’ is a particularly unstable form.

As cell divisions continue, several developments are possible:

a gradual return to the classic ‘Pink Daisy’ form;
the persistence of the ‘Glowworm’ state over several growth cycles;
an almost complete reversion to a green rosette, known as Aeonium ‘Meteor’.

The same plant also frequently produces rosettes belonging to all three forms at the same time.

Depending on their position on the plant and the development of the meristematic tissues, new offsets may become:

‘Pink Daisy’;
‘Glowworm’;
‘Meteor’.

This continuing instability is one of the defining features of the lineage.

Seasonal color changes

Like ‘Pink Daisy’, Aeonium ‘Glowworm’ changes with the seasons.

During the winter growing season, the variegated areas display cream tones that gradually turn pink as light levels increase.

With the arrival of summer heat and stronger sunlight, anthocyanin pigments develop further. The pink areas become more intense while the green sectors retain their color, further emphasizing this cultivar’s characteristic contrasts.

However, the intensity and distribution of the colors remain highly variable from one rosette to another because of the instability of the mutation.

Cultivation and behavior

Aeonium ‘Glowworm’ has growing requirements comparable to those of ‘Pink Daisy’.

Its main horticultural characteristics are:

Growth: active;
Offset production: excellent;
Vigor: good;
Sensitivity: no particular sensitivity observed apart from its natural susceptibility to frost.

Its strong ability to produce new rosettes encourages the regular appearance of new expressions of variegation.

An intermediate stage between ‘Pink Daisy’ and ‘Meteor’

From a horticultural perspective, ‘Glowworm’ can be regarded as an intermediate form between Aeonium ‘Pink Daisy’ and Aeonium ‘Meteor’.

It clearly illustrates the genetic plasticity of some modern variegated mutations, in which the same plant can produce several morphological expressions without human intervention.

This ability to change spontaneously makes ‘Glowworm’ one of the more unusual and unpredictable Aeonium currently in cultivation.