Are Semps winter hardy? I am going to leave mine outside and just hope that nature takes its course and makes sure they survive. I am buying a small greenhouse for my more delicate plants like Crassula Ovata, Sedum and my Aloe's. Hoping it fits on the little roof space I have.

Many sedum are winter hardy also Pia.

[...I will try the Sedum outside and see what happens! If it starts showing any signs of stress I'll put it back inside. Thank you as always for the help and inspiration Lynn!]

What sedum Pia? Or are you talking about your Semp. 'Oddity'?

I will leave the Oditty outside, I'm now talking about this Sedum, at the moment it's a NOID, I'm waiting for the flower to open! lol :)

http://garden.org/thread/view_...

Why do we refer to plants as Winter Hardy but never Summer Hardy???????

Seems like I lost more to the heat of summer than I am likely to lose over winter.

I am for the first time thinking of leaving some of my plants outside for the winter. I am pretty sure the Aloe and Crassula Ovata will not make it through the frost, so I'm bringing them in. Going to take a chance and leave all the Semps outside. As for the NOID Sedum, I'm going to see how it gets on in the next few months. What kind of temperatures do you guys get in winter months? Have your semps ever survived a few inches of snow? It usually snows once a year here for a few days.

Pia, I don't have an ID for your sedum, but from its shape and structure, think it unlikely to survive a freeze. I have not seen a "fleshy" type like that that is winter hardy (from a USA zone 5 freezing temps for months perspective)

Marilyn, Unusual heat hear as well, so I can see your point. They don't like long, hot, dry spells.

The semps should all be winter hardy in your location, Pia. My semps were covered by feet of snow some years, and no snow others. Snow cover is better than not, when the temsp drop to zero or thereabouts. Cold, dry winds can be an issue causing them to dry out over winter. If you get frost and occasional snow or rain, but not temps not far below freezing, they will thrive.

As the snow cover melts in the spring, I will find my semps smiling at me as they often are showing signs of growth while still surrounded by snow. They are happy with snow cover.

I'll bring the Sedum inside in that case! I also look forward to my Semps getting bigger over the winter! :D Many thanks!

Marilyn, your semps that have survived this year will do much better for you next year. They will have nice established roots by then and will be able to handle drought without much trouble.
I find that some of my new semps have a difficult time during their first summer, once they make it to the next year they take off and make up for lost time.

PiaLouiseSourvi said:Are Semps winter hardy?

I don't have as many species and varieties as many of the enthusiasts here, but having said that, I've yet to find a sempervivum that isn't hardy here in zone 3! They are true alpines and very adapted to harsh conditions (though they grow so easily here with no special conditions that most people don't realize they are alpines). Winter wet though is probably another story altogether! It's not something we experience here.

What are your lowest winter temperatures Lori?

It can get to -30 deg Celsius or a tad lower for brief periods; this would most often be an overnight low, maybe a couple of times through the winter, sometimes a bit more prolonged. The elevation in my area is about 1130 meters. Due to proximity to the Rockies, we get chinook winds through the winter - warm winds that melt the snow, exposing the soil during the winter.
People all across the prairie provinces (in places where it gets a heck of a lot colder than this) grow sempervivums as regular border plants. So, yes, very hardy and not even requiring rock garden conditions - though they certainly look their best tucked into stonework and filling the gaps between rocks, as they grow in nature.
As with most alpine plants (and an awful lot of regular perennials), the thing to watch out for is winter wet.

growitall said:
As with most alpine plants (and an awful lot of regular perennials), the thing to watch out for is winter wet.