Ok... so, I'm new here, and new to semps. So, show me your top 5 favorites!!!! Why is it your favorite? Color, performance, shape??? This way I can start compiling my "want" list.


I added a photo to your post Terri so it would be easy to find. : ) Hope that's okay?

This is going to be a fun thread.
S. 'Abba'It is basically green year around which makes for nice contrast with the other semps that are darker or brighter colored. It also is a good producer. It has also stayed healthy in our very wet winter/spring rain season.Some rosettes grew to 4 to 5 inches across.
3/12/2011---12/31/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Abba ll')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

9/5/2010---10/20/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Abba ll')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

S. 'Ann-Marie'This little cutie just makes me smile when I look at it. Again another one that has handled 3 years in our difficult rainy season and stays healthy. I rate Ann-Marie as medium in production. As you can see she has 8 offsets from last year. It is a smaller semp and lightly fuzzy. I also love the color contrast at certain times of the year.
3/30/3011---12/31/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Anne Marie')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Anne Marie')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

10/4/2010---5/12/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Anne Marie')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

S. 'Purdy's Big Red'This is a very large semp, 6 inches or more across. It to has stayed healthy in spite of all the rain. It is going into it's third year here. It stays green with dark red tips year round. The colors deepen some during certain times of the year. This has proven to be a very heavy producer for me. The potted plant produced over 40 offsets last growing season.
6/23/2010---12/31/2010
7/21/2010---3/22/2011

S. 'Red Rubin'For about a month this plant has a stunning color contrast. Most of the year it is red, produced over 20 offsets on the larger rosette. This is it's first full year her this coming May. It has stayed healthy through the rainy season this winter and into spring. Mature rosette was approx. 4 to 41/2" across.
3/22/2010---6/7/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Rubin')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

9/11/2010---9/11/2010 young offset


S. 'Fuego'This one is brilliant pretty much year round. Another tough plant in my PNW wet season. Lower production of about 5 offsets per rosette, and about 4" across on a mature rosette. This cultivar has been with me for 3 years.
3/22/2011---12/13/2010

• Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum 'Fuego')
• Uploaded by valleylynn

7/29/2010---5/11/2010


Now if you ask me tomorrow my list could very well change. I have become very found of the species (thanks to twit), heuffelii and Jovibarba.

Oooo that "fuego" is a beaut! I love this!!! I ordered several J. hirta from smg, I love the look of them.

See, this is the type of information I am looking for! How it performed, how many chicks, how large it got... Such important info! Lynn you are da bomb!

Come on sempaholics don't be shy!

Why just 5?

Like Lynn, my list would change, especially depending on season.

I don't have pictures yet, but S. Gazelle is without peer during the spring. J. h. Xanthoheuff in spring colors (such as Lynn's pic shows). S. x barbulatum 'Hookeri" for is small, groundcover beauty, S. Housmanii for is nobleness through all seasons, S. Bronco for its vibrant colors, S. Atroviolaceum (Heimlich), S. arach. Linde for its unusual rings of fir when in clumps, S. Sopa for sheer beauty of color, S. Jungle Shadows because of like fiery orange and S. calcareum Greenii.

S. arach. "Linde"


S. Sopa

I love this!! ...runs off to check out photos of the semps in twit's list...

Where's Twit's list?

dah...a case of CRS today...

Sorry about the typos, having some keyboard issues.

Off to play in the sunshine. Going to measure some semps also. Some of these are getting much larger this spring than I thought they would.

I was out just past dawn this morning and took some pictures of Gazelle. Not the best photos due to rushing and lighting issues, but I wanted to share them with you. Gazelle is one of the few semps that can produce a yellow color. During the early spring, it really shows off, yellow centers, shading to mottled red, then green. It stays this way for a few weeks, then becomes less distinct. Nothing finer in the semp world for early spring showing off in my opinion. (Sorry about the slug damage, they get out of control at times here). Pictures don't do it justice. And, yes, that is moss growing in my semp pot.

I may have one or two offsets that I can be talked into trading this year. Its a slow increaser for me but an easy, non-demanding plant otherwise.

Sempervivum 'Gazelle'

I would like one twit. She is beautiful.

I don't have a name for this one, but it definitely is one of my all time favorites. It pretty much stays this color year round. For some reason the form and the way the leaves are edged in the dark reddish brown gives me joy just looking at it. And this year it has become huge, 7 inches across. I always had her in pots until I lost all but two of this plant and put them in a raised be last year. I had no idea it would get that size, the largest it ever go in a pot was 3 inches.

Twit, those are gorgeous! Gazelle is the one in my avatar... it is gorgeous! It was a wonderful surprise when it opened for me. I've been growing all my semps right under my wings (in containers) where I can keep an eye on them. I'm getting ready to start moving them to the their beds. Do you think I will have empty nest syndrome?
Have a great day All ...I'm going outside...85 and sunny...gonna work that dirt.
Lynn, maybe this should be what's your favorite today.

---S.Gazelle 4-09-11---

What is not to love about that semp. It makes my heart flutter just looking at the photos you and twit posted.

Lynn, It tells me that spring is truly here. I'll save some for you, just don't let me forget.

Linda, Glad we agree. I'm heading out for a few minutes this afternoon as well. You can always keep a few in pots after you plant most out.

Lynn, your NOID is gorgeous...and it's 7" across! I can only imagine how beautiful it is in person. I love the shape of it, with the wide petals/leaves.

I love seeing everyone's favorites. I have a couple from the newly planted already!! Need to get a photo, maybe tomorrow.

Linda it is making babies. I just noticed yesterday, it is just starting up. Was so worried it would bloom and die this year without produce replacements. It is such a huge beauty. I actually took the metal ruler out this morning and measured it. I thought it was one I got years ago from Squaw Mountain Gardens but I don't think
Isella get this big? I will have to research it further. I did not have anything like Isella, so wondering it that is what she is.

Can't wait to see your new photos Terri.

I would have to say 'Cafe' first of all -this one gets about 2" across, and is slow to make chicks, making it that much more special:





'Fords Shadows' - bigger variety, about 3.5 - 4" across - another one that is slow to procreate:



'Bedivere' mostly for the colour. Each rosette will reach about 3" across.



'Saga' - lots of watermarks, which I love, this one tends to get clusters of crowns and resembles Jovibarba heuffelii - each rosette will be around 2.5" to 3":



marmoreum from Rotendorf - tiny pointed leaves with a distinctive dark point, each rosette is about 1" across and it makes lots of chicks. Lovely texture in a colony:

Nice list! Do you have the same cultivars in Canada we have here in the US? Or are there major differences in the cultivars available?

What a great list Jacki. I can't even choose between the five you listed. Each has it's own charm.