Will you post you pictures of what your Saturn looks like. I have an imposter. I think it is the one on the left from the frog people.

Hey Julia, based on http://www.sempervivum-liste.d...
I'd say it is on the right, since theirs doesn't look like it has much cilia.
@Jungleshadows Kevin are you able to make a guess or @Valleylynn any ideas!
For some reason whenever someone mentions 'Saturn' I mix it up with 'Sunset' not good!!!

Here's what I got from Chris/Goldfinch4 last summer. It seems like a reasonable facsimile to your right-hand image.
The left-hand image seems clearly wrong to me. I think the frog lies.



However, I don't think any of this matches http://www.sempervivum-liste.d...

I think we will need Kevin's help on this one.
I don't think I would trust the Frog people on semps. I was at Al's Garden Center today, and they had 6 or 7 different semps from the Frog people. Some I know were incorrect. Wish I would have take photos. Saturn was not among them.

Greg that is funny - I always get Saturn and Sunset mixed up too! It's because I bought them both at the same time I think same with Grunrand and Goldrand.

Julia - I sure like the one on the left, but doesn't look like Saturn

Okay, back to trying to sort out who the real 'Saturn' is.

This is the written description Kevin sent me:

JungleShadows said:OK here goes.

Alpine Gardens:
Bronzy red and light green incurved velvety leaves with a silvery edge.

Betty Bronow:
Many incurved leaves make an open rosette of cinnamon-red. At times an inner glow of light apple green. Velvet. Large.

Helen:
Fringed and tufted velvety leaves reddish-orange rosettes. Purple-red tips.

Hope that helps!

Helen did introduce it for Ed in 1975.

Well all of these descriptions disqualify my 'Saturn'. Another NOID for me.

We also have to wonder what time of the year each of the people wrote their description.
But the real 'Saturn' is suppose to have a velvet texture, with fringe along the leaf edges. That narrows things down.
I will start cleaning out my photos when I get home from work.

This is what my Saturn looked like back in April.




And this was July when it started to bloom.

Lynn interesting I've never seen a velvet version Hi NOID

You and me both Greg. News to me about the velvet texture.

Melissa, I think you have the same one that Greg and I have. Does yours have a velvety texture?

@ashley3's Ashley, can you get us a close up of the ones you have? I would like to see what the texture of the leaves is like and also see if it has the lashes lining the leaves.

Lynn, mine does not have a fuzzy, velvety type leaf. It is a matte leaf, not shiny at all but not velvety either.

Mine came from Youngs. Where did you get yours?

Saturn is a variety that appears to have just as many rings as the planet. When growing quickly in spring Saturn turns a yellow-green color with dark red leaf ends. When slightly stressed they plant turns deep red with beautiful watermarks.
Ed Skrocki (US), 1974

This is the description of Saturn from Youngs website. I don't see velvet texture mentioned and the plant I have certainly matches their description.

Melissa - Young's description is probably based on the plant they have, which isn't a correct plant, based on the older descriptions that were written when the plant was introduced

I think you are probably right about that Greg. They certainly do describe the plant that I have, which is a very nice plant but...……...virtually all of my NOIDS have come from Youngs.

Sorry Melissa.
I'm in the same boat.

I think the problem is that nurseries try to keep the name in which they received that plant. Unfortunately, once a mistake is made, it's kept on forever.

I did send Young's pl;ants of most of my older plants that I had verified as correct.

Kevin

Melissa yep!! Kevin glad you did that! If nurseries are getting their stock from other than the hybridizer, then yes easy to be wrong (and most are getting from sources other than hybridizers) I think also it is easy for these plants to get mixed in if the nursery isn't careful with separating stock plants. And also when they pull the order it is easy to make errors there too!

Life is one big opportunity to make errors. But we sure try not to make mistakes with our semps.

I now have a total of 10 NOIDS in my semp family. Half of them came from Youngs. I am wondering if I should be letting them know about this? Seems to me like they need to do some work on that.

gg5 said:Melissa yep!! Kevin glad you did that! If nurseries are getting their stock from other than the hybridizer, then yes easy to be wrong (and most are getting from sources other than hybridizers) I think also it is easy for these plants to get mixed in if the nursery isn't careful with separating stock plants. And also when they pull the order it is easy to make errors there too!

I have a lot of Amaryllis, and we have that same problem - big time. Bulbs go through about 6 different people when shipping, and if any of them make one mistake, then your order will be wrong. They are also shipped in bulb form when dormant, so since there is no actual flower to look at, that is another time when mistakes can be made. I think the same could apply to semps, as many of them turn plain green at certain times in the season. Even if the nursery has the best intentions, mistakes can be made.