Sunday 30 June 2013

Sempervivum Sunday: S. ciliosum

First up, it is one of the earliest varieties to flower for me, sempervivuvm ciliosum.


One of the species sempervivums, it forms compact small rosettes about 2 - 4 cm across.  Mainly green, some can develop a red tinge in summer.  It offsets freely with new plants forming on stolons, which in some cases can be long, giving the clump a messy look.


It can be a quick grower, forming good clumps.  Rosettes seem to only produce one set of new plants, so don't be tempted to remove them, or you'll be left with an empty pot once the plant flowers. For me new offsets establish in the first year, offset themselves in the second, and flower in the third.

They flowers early summer, it is usually one of the first into flower for me. The flower stalks are slim, with pale yellow flowers in a tight cluster.



Not the best sempervivum winter wise,; it is not as wet tolerant as many. They tend to do better protected form the worst of the winter wet, shrinking a fair amount and becoming a pale green. They do recover quickly come spring. 

Overall a good plant, but needs to be left to do its own thing to form the best clumps, which can get a bit wild. Personally I like it much more as a young small clump where I can appreciate the patterns to each rosette and the symmetry to the stolons as they snake out.


Summary:

  • Species sempervivum
  • Size: Small
  • Summer Colour: Green (some red)
  • Rosette: Neat, very symmetrical
  • Offsets: Lots, on long stolons
  • Clump: Clumps quickly, but can be messy
  • Flower: Yellow on thin unbranched stalks
  • Winter hardiness: Susceptible to winter wet. Some winter die back, changes to pale green.

4 comments:

  1. Very attractive semp. I don't currently have it in my semp collection but you have convinced me to add it. I really like the tight rosette, neat and colorful, with very long stolons on the chicks. The overhead shot is particularly nice. Semps here are beginning to stress as we are experiencing high temps in the 30 to 35 C. range with relatively high humidity. Summer is tough on semps here in Maryland.

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    1. I liked it for the same reasons, a shame the clumps are so messy as for me they spoil the neat structured look.
      It never really gets that hot here, so they have an easier time.

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  2. This semp is very attractive.
    About temps, may i say that in Lisbon we're having 40ÂșC. Too Hot.

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    1. It was hootest dsy of the year to date today and only 29C, even that stopped most people form gardening. 40 is way to hot.

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