Good to here from you Patty. When you get home some new pictures!!

Here's my Red Flush crest

That is so cool Julia. How old is it

It just started cresting about February or so.

Very cool Julia!!

Julia, is that a semp? It looks like one of those fuzzy pets that has electronic tags... Or am I just showing my ignorance?

MR, that is a sempervivum that has formed a crest, instead of the normal rosette. Isn't it interesting?

Here is one of Kevin's from last year, and it bloomed.


Here is a young crested rosette that formed last fall.


Here is a crested 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' I got from Perennial Obsession last year. I just love this one.

They are interesting. Would have loved to see that monster crest at Kevin's.

It was truly an thing of glory. That crested bloom stalk was huge and spectacular.

But i thought that you cannot propagate a semp for a crest? It just happens spontaneously?
I always think of them as an occasional sport?

Yes - I'm fascinated! Are these named "crests" AKA rosettes? Or just dead-end sports?

CDsSister said:
But i thought that you cannot propagate a semp for a crest? It just happens spontaneously?
I always think of them as an occasional sport?

Does it make crested chicks? The seeds from that would be fascinating to plant out -- if they DON'T make crested chicks and they don't pass their crested genetics on they would be short-lived: one bloom and they are gone, unless you keep frustrating its flower stalk...

I know 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' is know for producing crested plants. Something in the genetics of that particular semp.
I'm not sure what the scientific explanation would be for the cresting.

@JungleShadows Maybe Kevin can tell us?

Oh my. This photo on Flikr is truly bizarre. https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

Is that trying to become a flower stalk? I like the Fuzz when it isn't doing anything and even the ones that look like they are trying to become fuzz balls as this Mountain Crest Gardens offering shows: http://mountaincrestgardens.co... but I don't think I'd want to walk by that first one too often... Definitely not on a dark night!

And then I am totally sidetracked by the semp following the fuzz on this page (I'm giving free advertising here) http://mikesgardentop5plants.w...

"Proud Zelda" isn't a crest, but oh my, she is pretty!

MR, you should have seen Zelda in Lynn's garden This spring. I came home and made this comment on my WANT LIst:

on 9 may 2014.
(Absolute must-have)
Comment: Saw this in Spring 2014 at Semposium Remember to ask Lynn for this one this fall

I hope I can get one in the spring?

MR great photo links to crested semps. Aren't they fun?

Marilyn, you know that 'Proud Zelda' will come to live at your house.

I'm on dangerous territory... that picture of a weird crested thing (Semp "Fuzzy Wuzzy" attempting to send up a flower stalk) sent me on the search that led to discovering semp "Proud Zelda" and Google's picture search for that has this link: http://garden-photos-com.photo...

I want one! I was looking to see if I can find just one plant of "Proud Zelda" (that hasn't happened yet since I don't see myself getting to prowl around Lynn's garden to steal one) and now I'm thinking in terms of hundreds if not thousands of semps!

All of this is because I have work to do -- monastery work and now studying up so when I put the new Macro lenses on our camera the pictures won't keep coming out all fuzzy even though they look fine on the view finder. (I know this is one way of getting fuzzed (i.e. crested) semps but I don't think it will pass muster here.) I probably should be going through the posts on the photography forum to see what I need to do but I think I'm on strike tonight! MR

MR, you just need to come out next April.
Here is another one that I find prone to cresting. I have had several over 3 years that crested. And the added bonus of the color.

That is some interesting semp.

Lynn, that is beautiful! So fun.