This variety received its name from the world renown Aloe breeder and senior Santa Barbara plantsman, John Bleck, because of its green foliage and robust spreading growth habit reminded him of the smiling mascot of the frozen vegetable brand Green Giant that originated in a 1925 marketing campaign used by the Minnesota Valley Canning Company for a new larger variety of Pea. John's original plant has been a durable 12- to 18-inch-tall spreading groundcover that formed a solid stand about 6 feet wide. This plant was a spontaneous seedling hybrid resulting from unintentional hybridization between several species of Aeonium that were planted in his garden.

San Marcos Growers first introduced this very popular succulent plant to the horticultural trade in 1998 and has continued to grow this great landscape plant ever since. It was the first of a series of plants we received from John Bleck that we gave the "Jolly" moniker to, including Aeonium 'Jolly Towers', Aeonium 'Jolly Clusters' and Senecio 'Jolly Gray'. 

The information displayed on this page about Aeonium 'Jolly Green' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.