Sempervivum - hardy and beautiful - bejewel and bedazzle your Xeric Garden

The villagers of days gone by would plant Sempervivum on the roofs of their cottages as protection against fire caused by lightening strikes in the very first recorded instance of fire smart gardening.

Some of my favorite planters are those made from old weathered roots or satellite dishes, recycled into shallow bowls to plant in.

I'm also in the process of building a Sempervivum wall to make an erosion prone bank into a spectacular focal point.

Used as iron tough ground covers for perennial beds, accents in rock gardens, or grown in trough gardens, these indispensable and jewel-like plants are becoming popular again.

Collectors can choose from huge specimens of Sempervivum tectorum that can reach over 20cm across, or tiny spider web types called Sempervivum arachnoideum species with rosettes only one centimeter in diameter.

There are many species, and many selected varieties of those on this extensive Sempervivum list to choose from.

How to Grow Sempervivum

The soil should be well drained, preferably sandy and with some small rocks or pebbles for added drainage.

Add some steer manure before planting and mix it in, or sprinkle on worm castings once a year for the perfect amount of nutrition.

Mulch with lava rock, sharp gravel or pebbles to provide the perfect drainage around the roots.

As the cooler fall weather approaches, enjoy the colour changes that occur in your collection of Sempervivum, and stop watering.

The best way to kill Sempervivum is to allow them to go into winter with wet soil.

They can be shipped bareroot in the mail, so they can withstand a lot of dry conditions, and in fact, prefer it. See Succulent Swap page for more on how to package Sempervivum for shipping.

Many take on darker hues as cool weather arrives in the fall, to change back to green as they become dormant for the winter. They glow in the sunlight, showing amazing 'watermarks' or delicate stripes. The arachnoideum species, or cobwebs have gossamer webbing that in some cases almost totally encases the rosette. The choice of Sempervivum is amazing, with more new and unusual types being developed all the time as they hybridize with ease.

I now have over a hundred and fifty named varieties and more types grown in the landscape in tapestry beds along with Sedum. I grow them from seed, and I marvel at the myriad forms, colours and textures of them - all different.

For more pictures of mature Sempervivum in the landscape visit the beautiful gardens at Labour of Love Landscaping.

Growth Habit of Sempervivum

The rosettes are formed in a spiral pattern, with each new set of leaves making a smaller circle in the center of the plant.

Once the rosette gets big enough, baby chicks form at the base and emerge on stolons to root into the surrounding soil.

The stolons eventually become brittle and rot away, leaving a clutch of 'chicks' around the 'hen'.

Eventually, the hen will bloom, after which it dies, leaving a gap to be filled in with the chicks as they grow.

A sizable cluster of rosettes will result as each successive generation spreads wider afield in a textural carpet.

Uses of Sempervivum

Combining many different types and sizes of Sempervivum with other hardy succulents gives the look of an ever changing patchwork quilt.

Group them in clusters and allow them to combine to show off the textures and colours as a ground cover, or planted among rocks.

In time, they'll fill in a pot or container to spill over the edge, sometimes dropping off and rooting into the ground below.

Easy to grow, easy to move, just pull gently until the rosette tears away and plug it into the next empty spot in your xeric garden. They don't even need to have roots on - just insert the stolon where you want the chick to grow to hold it in place until the roots emerge.

The rare and unusual Jovibarba are similar in appearance and culture to Sempervivum, but have some different and unique characteristics.

If you belong to a gardening group, society or club or someone who wants lots to share with friends or for succulent crafts you can buy Sempervivum in bulk; see the Sempervivum Co-op.

See more about Sempervivum below...

Sempervivums Everywhere Succulent Number 3: (pink pot)

The cutest of them all. The middle bit has 'webs'. I thought I found out what these were, but on closer look, there are ...

Cat 1, Sempervivum 0 Succulent Number 2: (yellow pot)

This had a strange shape to me, the outer leaves grew downwards and I had pulled them over the sides when they got ...

Giant Lettuce Succulent Mine has many leaves, a shiny surface, and these string-like fibers that connect the leaves' tips together.

A few days ago it started to look a bit ...

Mystery web succulent Like hens and chicks this succulent has babies..but these intricate globes each have their own webs. Love them just can't figure out what they are. Thanks ...

New To Succulents Got these a few weeks ago...not sure what their identities are, but they look like they are getting to big for their container? is it unhealthy to keep ...

10ins tall with small pink flowers 10ins tall with small pink flowers, as you can see from the picture.

Drought Smart Plants reply:

Hi Zed, what you have is a Sempervivum , the ...

Sempervivum Identification Succulent Number 4: (lemon green pot)

This one is the best of them all, in my opinion. It's getting quite big and has lots of babies, but I plan to ...

Please Please help me identify my Sempervivums, Thank you! I recently got FOUR succulents from the garden centre and have been trying to identify them, to no avail. Would you please help me? I will upload pictures ...