Some grasses and certain "open crown" plants can offer some natural protection to sempervivum at least in some lower altitude areas you can find some of these natural partial sun shades, which are important in an abrupt area at lower altitudes with hot long summer days where rains don't do much as the drainage is high due to everything being at an angle.
This is from a gorge and location in that gorge was hot and dry at around 500m/1650 feet above sea level, facing mainly south.
