Wow Chris that is really cool!!
Tim my answer isn't an easy one...I think there is a balance between how much sun for the different types of semps. (some like more some like less)
I don't have a pic but my Michael's Golden is a different color from yours and mine was in full sun, so I'm thinking specifically that one - sun makes a difference to coloration. I found a couple heuf. Feuerrad that were up against the side of my trough (in the shade line) and they were a different color from the others in more sun. For me my best result is morning sun, afternoon shade, and in full summer heat shading a bit more as needed. This year I didn't do that and several were crispy, don't even know if they are going to make it...but the ones with shade are all doing great. Stress does get them to color up (again my experience) and I think the stress of crowding helps with odd behavior (monstrose, or cresting) but these could be totally coincidental, and these plants would have done the same thing without my having crowded them? Since I often don't have a good 'control' to compare with, then it seems like guess work, but it does make me think certain things about how to get what we want from our semps.
