MOUNTAIN CREST GARDENS CRASH COURSE ON THE MOST PROLIFIC SUCCULENTS: WEEK 1 - SEMPERVIVUM
Tuesday, March 27 2018 Lizz deVillegas
So, which of the succulents here at Mountain Crest Gardens are easiest to grow? Which are the most prolific? We are going to break them all down by genus and give you a crash course in succulents.
For the first week, we will introduce you to our top 10 Sempervivum and our Top 5 Sempervivum Heuffelli. So grab your notebook and a pen, open up your laptop, and get ready to learn!
Sempervivum (Hens & Chicks) are hardy perennials that are perfect for the great outdoors. They are frost hardy (Zone 5 and up) and drought tolerant. They are great “fillers” as when left alone in your garden they will clump and form a dense mat of plants. The colors often change with the season. Sempervivum are monocarpic, meaning the mother hen flowers once and then dies, but the chicks are cut off and used for new plants. These succulents thrive in full sun from the morning to afternoon and like filtered shade in the late afternoon, especially in hot climates.
1. Sempervivum ‘Royanum’ is very prolific and grows large in a short period of time. It has glowing apple green to yellow-green with maroon tipped rosettes.
2. Sempervivum ‘Red Beauty’ is greener in winter and get rosier colored in the warmer months. It provides a great winter interest in the garden and is also very prolific.
3. Sempervivum Arachnoideum ‘Cebenese’ is very productive, forming nice clumps in the ground and has that wonderful cobweb design. It changes from green to more reddish tones in the warmer months. It is great for living walls or vertical gardens.
4. Sempervivum ‘Saturn’ is very prolific and it grows rings of chicks around it. It has wonderful pointy leaves and is a grey-green color with pink tips.
5. Sempervivum ‘Commander Hay’ looks great year-round with colors ranging from green to a nice blush tone in the summer.
6. Sempervivum calcareum ‘Fire Dragon’ is very productive but it does not grow very large. It gives off a nice bluish color with red tips. (Note: All Calcareums are easy to grow!)
7. Sempervivum tectorum ‘Sunset’ is a strong grower and has really bright colors, like its name. It works great as an accent or edging in the garden or also in containers.
8. Sempervivum ‘Pacific Blue Ice’ is very prolific with beautiful blue silvery rosettes.
9. Sempervivum ‘Jade Rose’ has striking red colors in winter and spring. It also blooms frequently.
10. Sempervivum ‘Oddity f/Albidum’ is a hybrid and looks like its name. It is definitely odd looking, but that only makes it more reason to love it. It is green with purple tips.
Sempervivum heuffelii have the same hardiness and drought tolerance as Sempervivum but keep their color year-round. They grow in clumps as well, if you want them to multiply you cut off the chicks and replant.
1. Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Bros’ is a rare plant and favorite of succulent enthusiasts. It is a deep red with orange and yellow coloring.
2. Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Beacon Hill’ has smooth purple leaves with a fine cilia line along the leaves edges.
3. Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Irene’ is very prolific and becomes quite large with a wonderful purple color.
4. Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Randolph’ will reproduce new offsets between older leaves and has bright green leaves tipped in purple.
5. Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Sundancer’ has light green leaves with dark tips, turning to glowing orange-red in summer. It also produces pale yellow flowers. It reproduces new offsets between older leaves.