Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’: How to Care for This Color-Changing Succulent

Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’ is one of those succulents that can make you wonder if you’re looking at the same plant from one season to the next.

Its leaves have beautiful tricolor variegation with green, yellow to cream and pink-to-burgundy coloring. And those colors can change.

Light, temperature, water and other growing conditions can influence its colors. Under certain conditions, the pink and burgundy coloring can become much more dramatic and dark. As it matures, it produces side shoots and more rosettes, eventually turning into a compact, branching succulent.

What Makes It Special?

There’s a reason this one is called Mardi Gras.The plant was named for its colorful leaves, and this isn’t just a cute nursery name. Mardi Gras actually has a documented history for Its name. It was created by a plant breeder Renee O’Connell at Altman Plants in Vista, California, in 2007.

She crossed an unnamed Aeonium hybrid known as #13 with Aeonium ‘Velour’. The result was Mardi Gras, a compact Aeonium with tricolored variegation. Its original plant patent specifically describes its leaves as lemon yellow, green and burgundy and says that the plant can develop an intense burgundy blush under drought or cold conditions. The Huntington Botanical Gardens later introduced the cultivar through its International Succulent Introductions program.

So this isn’t just a colorful Aeonium. It’s a California-bred succulent with a pretty cool history.

Key Facts

Scientific name: Aeonium hybrid ‘Mardi Gras’
Common name: Mardi Gras Aeonium
Family: Crassulaceae
Origin: Cultivated hybrid created by Renee O’Connell at Altman Plants in Vista, California, in 2007
Parentage: Aeonium hybrid #13 × Aeonium ‘Velour’
Growth form: Compact, branching, rosette-forming succulent
Common use: Containers, succulent arrangements and outdoor succulent gardens in suitable climates

How to Care for Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’

Light

Mardi Gras loves bright light and light plays an important role in its colors. Give it plenty of bright light with some direct morning sun to help maintain its compact growth and encourage its stronger coloring.

Outdoors, morning sun with protection from extremely intense afternoon sun is a good starting point, especially in hot climates.

Indoors, place Mardi Gras near your brightest window.

The plant’s original patent notes that its appearance can vary with environmental conditions including things like light intensity, temperature and day length. So your Mardi Gras isn’t supposed to look exactly the same all year.

One important rule: acclimate it. A Mardi Gras that has been growing in a greenhouse, indoors or under shade can still sunburn if it is suddenly moved into hours of intense direct sunlight.

Water

During active growth, water Mardi Gras thoroughly and then allow the soil to dry before watering again. When you water, give the entire root system a good drink rather than giving the plant frequent little sips of water. Then let the soil dry out all the way.

Aeoniums generally grow more actively during cooler conditions and can slow dramatically or become dormant during hot, dry summer weather. When growth slows down, the plant uses less water. That means you may need to reduce watering during summer dormancy.

Interestingly, Mardi Gras was specifically selected for its response to lower-water conditions. Its patent notes that mild water stress can bring out a deep burgundy blush in the foliage. But that doesn’t mean you should intentionally dehydrate your plant. Color is always fun. A healthy root system is more important.

Soil

Mardi Gras needs gritty, fast-draining soil. A cactus or succulent mix is a good but depending on your conditions, adding perlite or pumice can increase drainage and airflow around the roots. The right soil mix also depends on where you grow. If your plant is indoors, in a humid environment or somewhere that doesn’t get much airflow, the soil may stay wet longer and you may need a more gritty mix.

If you’re growing outdoors in a hot, dry climate, your soil may naturally dry much faster. Always use a container with a drainage hole. Your goal is soil that can become wet when you water but doesn’t remain saturated around the roots for long periods.

Temperature

It prefers mild conditions and is interesting because temperature can influence its color. That doesn’t mean freezing temperatures are good for it. Aeoniums should be protected from frost and long freezing temps. During very hot weather, Mardi Gras may slow its growth or enter summer dormancy. If that happens, reduce your watering and allow the plant to follow its natural cycle.

Fertilizer

It doesn’t need heavy feeding. If you fertilize, use a diluted balanced fertilizer during active growth. A light feeding during the growing season is plenty for a plant growing in fresh succulent soil. Avoid fertilizing a dormant, severely stressed or freshly repotted plant. 

Blooming

Mature Aeoniums can produce tall flower stalks carrying clusters of many small, star-shaped flowers. Its flowers are yellow, although the original U.S. plant patent focuses on the leaves and does not document its flowers in detail.

There’s also something important to understand about Aeonium flowers. Aeonium rosettes are monocarpic. That means a rosette flowers once and then dies after blooming. Before you panic, that does not necessarily mean the entire plant dies. Mardi Gras produces side shoots and additional rosettes. On a mature plant the rosette that blooms can finish its life cycle while the other rosettes continue growing. And you could be waiting quite a while to see it happen. Aeoniums generally need to reach maturity before flowering.

Is Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’ Pet Safe?

There isn’t enough reliable, cultivar-specific veterinary information available for us to confidently classify Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’ as pet safe. We recommend keeping it out of reach of pets, especially if you have a cat or dog that likes to chew on plants.

Humidity

Mardi Gras doesn’t need high humidity. Normal household humidity is generally fine. What matters more is good airflow and how quickly the soil dries after watering. In a humid environment, soil loses water more slowly. If yours is taking a long time to dry, give it more airflow, increase the perlite and drainge of your soil or adjust how often your watering.

Propagation

Mardi Gras can be propagated by a stem cutting with a healthy rosette attached. Cut a healthy rosette with a small section of stem and allow the cut surface to dry and callus. Then place the cutting into a gritty, well-draining succulent soil and allow give it time to establish new roots. Once roots develop, gradually start it on normal watering.

Troubleshooting Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’

My Mardi Gras Is Turning Greener

This doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. Mardi Gras naturally changes its appearance in response to its environment. Its original patent specifically notes that temperature, light intensity and day length can affect its phenotype. If the plant is healthy but greener than it used to be, look at how much light it’s receiving.

The Colors Look Completely Different Than When I Bought It

Welcome to growing Mardi Gras! This is one of the reasons we love this plant. Its leaves can show green, yellow, pink and burgundy in different ways depending on growing conditions. The plant you have in summer may look different several months later.

The Rosette Is Closing Up

If temperatures are high and growth has slowed, your Aeonium might be entering summer dormancy. A tighter rosette can help an Aeonium cope with hot and dry conditions. Reduce watering and let the plant rest rather than trying to force new growth.

Lower Leaves Are Drying and Falling Off

Some lower-leaf loss is normal as an Aeonium grows and sheds older leaves. It can also become more noticeable when the plant slows down during hot weather. A few dry, crispy lower leaves usually aren’t a reason to panic. Soft, translucent or mushy leaves are different and you should check the plant’s soil and roots.

My Mardi Gras Is Stretching

It may need more light. A Mardi Gras receiving insufficient light may begin to lose its compact form. Move it somewhere brighter...gradually rather than putting it directly into sun. Also remember that Mardi Gras naturally develops stems and side shoots as it matures. A stem isn’t automatically a sign of stretching.

The Leaves Have Brown or Bleached Patches

If Mardi Gras was suddenly moved into much stronger direct sun, the leaves may have sunburned. The damaged spots of those leaves won’t repair themselves but healthy new growth can replace them over time. Introduce stronger sunlight very gradually to prevent additional damage.

The Stem Is Soft or Mushy

Soft or mushy stems combined with wet soil is a warning sign. The roots or stem may have remained wet for too long. Stop watering and inspect the roots and stem. Remove any damaged stem if needed and but save the healthy rosettes as stem cuttings. Your mix may retain too much water, the pot may not drain properly or you may be watering before the soil has had enough time to dry.

Your Mardi Gras Is Just Getting Started

If this Aeonium ‘Mardi Gras’ showed up in your Succly order, congratulations, you have one seriously colorful succulent to watch grow.

Snap a pic, tag @Succly, and show us where your Mardi Gras lives. Bonus points if it’s showing all its colors 🌼

Keep Learning About Succulent Care

New to succulents or want to learn even more? These guides will help you grow healthier, happier plants.

Watering Succulents
Learn why overwatering isn’t about how often you water, but how long the soil stays wet.
→ Read our Watering Guide

Find the Right Succulent Soil
There isn’t one “perfect” succulent soil. Discover how to choose or mix the best soil for your growing environment.
→ Read our Succulent Soil Guide