Viewing post #385763 by Irrelephant

gg5 said:Andrew you could ask that question on the "chat" forum, that way Lynn and Twit and Chris, the main "experts" will probably have an answer! I think its totally odd that they have them marked like that, were they from the same growers? (did the labels look the same?) because it could be that different growers label different temps. Personally I'd be surprised if they really can survive at 40 below without snow or some other protection!! One problem in southern areas with regarding these plants is that they can take drought but not full sun, so when deciding where to plant them you should consider this. They like full sun in winter and can take quite a lot of shade in summer. Its funny because even though we're in the same zone, I have a feeling that your temps and humidity are far hotter than mine ever get. These guys prefer cooler temps but can do okay with heat, just shaded.

Where is the "chat" forum? They were from the same growers. Good, because the lowest temperatures I ever get here are 20*F and if it ever gets that low, there is always snow on the ground. Shade also happens to be a lot easier with where I live, great. Will local pollinators pollinate their flowers? I know that once a rosette flowers, it dies and leaves its offspring behind. Can this be stopped by cutting the bloom stock before it has a chance to devote energy to flowers and seeds?
If they can be pollinated, will different varieties cross pollinate on their own outside?

twitcher said:Andrew, If memory serves me correctly, S. 'Fuzzy Wuzzy' has a reputation for showing the occasional unusual form. There are, however, noticeable differences in the offset locations in the two different plants' photos you show. That means to me that they will not end up looking the same general shape initially. While the normal location for offsets is outside of the original parent rosette, it is not that unusual for offsets to appear inside the parent rosette for many different semps. In time, if the two pots of plants are allowed to develop into larger clumps of plants, you should see that they are structured similarly.

Also to clarify an implied question, the modern semps we see today are frequently hybrids from among many different species of Sempervivum. So there will be a lot of variation among the different kinds of hybrids or varieties of semps one may encounter. Also, keep in mind that some varieties of semps are not completely stable. I like to think that the lack of stability does give them a better chance of survival in adverse conditions.

My collection of semps was blasted a bit last summer by unusual heat we had here. While most of the plants did recover, I am finding that a lot of damage was done to their ability to survive through an unusual winter with minimal snow cover. They are emerging from the winter in much poorer condition than in previous winters where we had consistent snow cover. It is very good advice to prepare them for the heat by giving morning sun only and shade in the afternoon.

As has been said before, it is usually impossible to identify a semp once its ID tag has been lost. They are just too variable and there are many similar varieties. While there are some exceptions to this rule, they are few such as 'Oddity' (even here there are a few similar types) and 'Fame Monstrose'.

Or the lack of stability gives it a higher chance of randomly producing plants with unusual coloring or form.