Lynn, Yes I saw the 'Red Lion'; it was gargantuan. The biggest rosette of 'Dark Cloud' was 9" and those of 'Plumb Rose' and 'Frost and Flame' just a bit smaller.
Greg, interesting on 'Emerson's Giant' NOT being a giant. I grew 'Emerald Giant' back in MA and it did get ~6" across there. Helen's 'Jade West' was in that same size range for me. I have 'Emerald Giant' again and it's growing, but slowly. Had wanted to use it in crosses this year but no blooms either.
Last year I bought seed from the North American Rock Garden Society seed exchange and grew a package of seed labeled "Sempervivum largest forms". One of the seedlings has grown very fast, producing 16 rosettes less than a year from seed but it's difficult to judge its size from a seedling growth. Vigorous it surely is. It even made Lynn nervous!!
I do have seed from 'Dark Cloud' X 'Plumb Rose' that should give a lot of big rosettes and dark ones too. As encouragement to the semps, I keep a pot of Echeverias so they can see how cool a 12" rosette would be. Hopefully they're looking at the competition and thinking "I can be that big too!". Maybe i need to cross 'Red Lion' with 'Dark Cloud' too.
'Springael's Choice' is the biggest of the heuffeliis for me and such a lovely color. It may be my favorite of them.
Kevin
