Your opinion is always welcome here Greg.

Thanks Lynn!

Since semps have been collected and cultivated for 1000's of years, the issue becomes which are still located in their native habitats and which are true species or natural hybrids. Glad I don't have that problem of sorting them out. It's enough just trying to keep ahead of the leaves and the necessary repotting.

Relax Greg, when I pick something, it's always from a large collony.
And I am not greedy.
I don't take and sell.
If you can imagine, once while hiking on a marked trail, I saw a lot of pink Lilium martagon within hand-reach distance and it looks like people could not be bothered to pick them.
And most of the plants that would be worth-collecting (in my opinion) are far far away, on top of mountains, areas I don't really have access to.

So... green is not always green...
I think I knew that, but still, would there be a wide variety of kinds just out there?

There is very little info online about flora in Romania. It's like no one bothered to take the time and do something.

Oh to be able to go there with my camera.

fixpix/Calin, In case you didn't catch that, Lynn, in an unusual way, was making a suggestion... that I also had been about to make.

I have seen some of Calin's photos of plants in their natural habitat. Would love to see some of those semps in their natural habitat.

twitcher said:fixpix/Calin, In case you didn't catch that, Lynn, in an unusual way, was making a suggestion... that I also had been about to make.

Calin, I had the same line of thought as Twitch also...but hesistated, sorry...SO, Go for it!!!

Cailin,

OK you are a pup compared to me. I was 21 in 1975. I loved your country, both the scenery and the people. We spent three days at a resort on the Black Sea ("Neptune") that was very nice although my favorite was the resort in the Transylvanian Alps. Just gorgeous countryside there. Of course we went to Dracula's Castle too! Are you located in the city or in a more rural area??

There is a Hungarian restaurant nearby me that makes good stuffed cabbage but not as good as what I had in Romania!!

Actually several of the resorts made wonderful crepes for dessert too.

Hmm, WHY AM I HUNGRY??

Back in from a fay of digging out daylily selections. Semps are MUCH easier to move.

Greg, I think most botanists don't have the same way of thinking as horticulturalists do about wild plant. Botanists want the typical plant and they squash it between pieces of paper and dry it. Horticulturalist want the UNUSUAL one and we are going to GROW it. If anything we're probably preserving germplasm! Having a PHD in botany I can say this!

Kevin

André Smits - Belgium

every semps-collector knows his name - early or later ;-)

born in 1936 he has bred over 1.300 semps- and 2.100 jovi-cultivars;

who wants to see some photos of him and his garden? here you can take a look:

http://www.sempervivum-liste.d...

http://www.semperhorst.de/Smit...

Thank you for those links Peter. WOW! What a collection. His gardens are amazing.

Just got home, and on my way to check your your links Peter.

This one has me most captivated! Guess I may have to plan a trip to Franfurt! http://www.gruenzeux.de/index....

that's the homepage of another one of my very good semps-friends - Andreas Homrighausen

Do you need a travel companion?

...and a guide?

Ok Sandi yep this may be something we HAVE to do! haha
@banker07 The way Andreas writes is very captivating - you can tell he loves sempervivums! And that is just plain cute!!
Has he hybridized any of his own?
How far are you from Frankfurt Peter? Maybe we'll invade you for a few days haha! Garden tours all around your area before we hit Frankfurt area!
And meanwhile I would have to visit Berlin for the urban experience!!