Semper Vi

 This is going to be a long post, but I want to get these all in one place. This is as much for me as for you.

You may think that the title is a play on "Semper Fi," a shortened version of Semper Fidelis, which means to be always faithful. You are right in one sense, but the title is actually a shortened version of Sempervivum, the name of the plant genus. It means to be always living.

These plants are the familiar houseleeks, or hens and chicks. I now have quite a few varieites. I've only killed a few over the years. Indeed, they are pretty tough. I'm going to start with my most recent acquisition. This is the variety 'Black.' A lot are species tectorum. But some of the hybrids, you never know. Here's what 'Black' looks like today.

When you buy them, it's difficult to know just how they are going to change when put outside. You can look online for clues, but I've found they tend to be quite variable even within the variety. So, I liked the name... hoped this would turn very dark. Here's how it looked two weeks ago. Not much change. The web sites pretty much agree that the leaves stay dark green with almost black tips. Well, I can live with that, but it's too ordinary to be a favorite.



Here's the other one I bought two weeks ago, 'Gold Rush.' This one is supposed to get green leaves with golden tips. Here it is when I bought it. It had probably never seen real sunlight.



Here it is today. Maybe it's getting there. The late sun is hitting it here, perhaps enhancing the yellow.

I think I've learned that the ones with trailing tails of babies in the store perhaps take that form under the artificial conditions of a greenhouse. I bought 'Red Heart' last year partly because of the color, and partly because of those tails. Here's what it looked like last August.

And here is today. I am very happy with the color. I'm generally happy with it, but I don't think it makes those tails unless the babies are searching for soil.

In the category of near misses, I also bought this one last year, named 'Ruby Heart.' I thought it would get redder, but it's green and maroon. I do like the slightly mottled look. We'll see if that is a real thing.

Now, we'll go back into ancient history. I bought a pot of these for $1.00 in 1998. They just end up everywhere. No clue what variety. I call them 'Green Stars' because they stay small and lie open on the surface, seldom cupping like so many do.

Here is its flower (from 2018).

And here's another I got at the same time, same price. I've always called these 'Roly Poly,' but I think I've actually identified them as Sempervivum globiferum. They pretty much stay cupped up tight, producing little balls which detach and roll everywhere, making new balls. They also stay relatively small, maybe 2" across max.

Here's another that is an ongoing mystery. I think this is one I bought in 2002, 'King George.' It's in the space where that should be, and it's supposed to be maroon with slight webbing. Indeed, I was fooled earlier this year into thinking this is 'Arachnoidea.' You can see how similar it looks to the picture that is two down. If I'm right, when it does bloom it will have a pink flower.

The thing is, a Sempervivum in the same area bloomed last year and it had a yellow flower with a distinctive shape. I think that is one of the S. heuffelii. Anyway, I think there were two different kinds that ended up in that space. The rosettes that bloom die, so I'm no longer sure if I have any of the S. heuffelii.



Here is S. aracnoidea for sure. See the "cobwebbing?" These were a gift from Betsy last year, and two are going to bloom.

Another gift from Betsy is one of my favorites because it's odd. Indeed, the variety is 'Oddity.' And it's having babies!

And we'll end with another that was a gift. These come from Margaret. Since she plucked them out of her garden, we knew what they would look like. They are big and fill in a space nicely.

I think that's all my Sempervivum! I do covet that 'Gold Nugget' variety that is really all golden. We shall see. So often, ones I order are disappointing.

In other news, I edited my brains out, and managed a few minutes in the rock garden. Going to do more plant records this evening.

See The Rock Garden Eats More Plants and Rocks