Okay all of you semp sleuths. Time to take a look at S. 'Circus', hybridizer is Ed Skrocki 1976.

Here is a quote from Kevin: "I remember it as more like 'Plastic' and the decription in Helen's catalog agrees with that idea too."

Here is what we have in the ATP database: Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Circus')

Is Circus suppose to be smooth leaved, or fuzzy leaved?

@JungleShadows @banker07 @goldfinch4 @twitcher and anyone else that would like to help solve this mystery.

Ok, here's the quote from Helen's catalog on 'Circus':

"Slender velvety leaves with reddened tips. Unusual spiked appearance."

What I remember in addition is that although the leaves wee narrow they were also more TUBULAR.

Hope that helps!

Kevin

all photos on our homepage are from the same clone - it came from André Smits (Belgium);

don't know from where he got it.....but I think it won't match to the description of Helen;

@JungleShadows Kevin, do you think the american clone may fit?

Peter

Peter,

That one is certainly closer than what you have in Europe but I don't feel either is totally correct. I remember Ed saying that it was "his version of Grigg's Surprise" as the leaves were more tubular. It isn't as tubular as the monstrose forms but thicker and rounder than most semps. That gave it sort of a "spny effect" or as Helen said "spiked".

The European one looks more like what was distributed informally as "Skrocki 51". it had bright colors but it always looked bad after a hard winter. Ed never introduced it. I used it in crossing and 'Mulberry Wine' is from that plant. 'Mulberry Wine' didn't have its parent's faults.

Kevin

The immature velvety rosettes in the database from @Cahac certainly fit the description of spiky and velvety. It also looks like some of the leaves may be rather thick.
This one bares watching. What do you all think?

And here is another one being sold as 'Circus'. http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/...

The Czech plant looks wrong too Peter!

I'm wondering if a nursery over here distributed the wrong plant and it was what made it to Europe. 'Circus' was introduced shortly before Helen sold the business to Shirley Rempel so it may have occurred then.

Kevin

I will make a note to our homepage that our clone is wrong and we all have to search for the correct one - maybe the one from Cahac....

thanks Kevin for all the informations

Peter

I just saw this thread...I'm glad we're continuing to work out which semps are correct!!!
Here is what Young's is selling as their 'Circus' don't know where Cahac bought his...
http://www.youngs-garden.com/s...

I want to make a news and distribute it to the german breeders and publish it on our homepage;

but I want to ensure that it is oK if I cite @JungleShadows and use one of the photos from @Cahac;

would you please give me your permission

Peter

Peter great idea!! Thank you

The green version on Youngs site look similar to the description Kevin gave us.

alright folks,
the pics i put in databank is a 2 yr old chick of a plant i bought originally in the early nineties from a small personal nursery
here in Va..the owner has since passed on and it's no longer in business.He had it marked Circus. I lost most of my original stock of plants,. a couple years ago and only saved a couple. The leaves on this plant are really thin across and thick in the middle. in a keel shape .looking down on it and at a side angle it does appear to be a tubular shape . But it's not. The top of the leaf is flat.. It starts out as a ball and is slow to open. the bottom layer of leaves go flat and the rest are upright , but start to lean outward as more open. only gets about 2 1/2 to 3' across
last year a friend brought me a chick from the plant that Young's sells. it is just now starting to open up. the fuzzy center looks the same but can't tell anything about the leaves yet. I have a pic from last week and will take another 1 today. and as it opens all the way
I have both pots of these in same area so they will be getting the same amount of sun and in the same mix.will update when i can .
Peter, feel free to use any pic i put up
cliff

thanks Cliff

Good info Cliff!!

This is the Chick of plant from Young's. My friend brought it to me right around Labor Day last year. 1st 2 pics are from last weekend and others i took today.i do have a couple more pics from today tho.
cliff













these are todays pics of my plant

Peter, Sure you may quote me. I had the plant from Ed before it was sold. The plants from Cahac look close, especially the last two images.

Kevin

Hooray Cliff! You have a winner!! Now we'll be lining up to get the "real Circus"

Hurray I do not have another NOID!

I've proposed my photos to be deleted;

the news on our homepage has been published and distributed to the german semps-experts.

thank you all for helping to identify the correct plant

Peter

I love this community of semp lovers. What a team you all make.