Sempervivum / Hens & Chicks

Sempervivum ‘Commander Hay’ – This RHS Award of Garden Merit winner features pointed deep red leaves (often with green tips) that forms 4″ wide rosettes. ‘Commander Hay’ bears greenish-pink flowers in summer on 4″ high stems. As with all Sempervivum, it requires near perfect drainage (with sandy soils being okay). Grows 4″ high by 8-12″ wide. Zone 3.

Sempervivum ‘Fuzzy Wuzzy’ (Sempervivum ‘Marietta’ x Sempervivum ‘Denise’s Cobweb’) – This 1976 US introduction by Kevin Vaughn is quite unusual with its small green rosettes (2.5-4″ wide with subtle pink highlights) often packed together in tight clusters. It requires part to full sun, with the minimum being 4 to 6 hours. Hardy to zone 4.

Sempervivum ‘Proud Zelda’ – This US introduction bred by Edward Skrocki in 1981 features large rosettes of unusual coppery-bronze to smokey-purple leaves with fine silvery hairs. It also produces offsets on long stolons which are usually borne after the main rosette flowers, set seed and dies. ‘Proud Zelda grows 6″ high and is hardy to zone 3.

Sempervivum ‘Oddity’ – This 1977 introduction by Sandy McPherson won the Brown Rosette award for best new introduction the following year. It features thick leaves that are folded (almost tubular) with hollow chiseled points that are tipped in a dark burgundy. It has pink star-shaped blooms in summer. Grows 2-4″ high by 6-12″ wide. Hardy to zone 4.

Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Robin’ – Considered by many to be one of the best red Sempervivum, ‘Robin’ features medium sized rosettes (4″ wide) of deep red leaves covered in fine silver hairs. This UK introduction (bred by David T. Ford in 1976) produces pink star-shaped blooms on 8″ high stems and has prolific offsets. Grows 2-3″ high by 12″ wide. Hardy to zone 5.

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