Sempervivum

[RickR]

Rick, don't they all keep some colouring during summer? Those I have do although I can't say we experience heat stress - drought maybe, but heat, what is that

Actually Red Ace is also holding its color well here, but other mostly reds like Noir and Maigret are now mostly green.  In general, I would say that all semps here change color from spring into summer.  At least for me.  I've always said I am not a very attentive grower of anything, and semps receive a lot of neglect.  They are one of the last on my list to be sheltered from hot sun, since that space is rather limited.  We are in our ninth day in a row with high temps in the mid 90's (35C) and lows above 70 (21C), with high humidity. 

compare these photos of 'Robin' and 'Minus' in the left front corner of the same trough:
29 April
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=182.0;attach=20252;image

25 June
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=182.0;attach=34718;image

[cohan]

Most of my semps also change colour, though it may be a less extreme change- my semp bed still has lots of stron gcolour (I'll try to take some new pics today, then maybe some more next week after we are supposed to actually have some warm sunny weather).. there is also, for some, a strong change in form- ciliosum and arachnoideum don't change much- they stay tightly closed all year here, but others go from tightly closed to quite open....

My challenge is the opposite of yours- I have to think hard about what plants to give the few mostly fully exposed sites I have, and try to acquire plants which are okay with only a half day of sun, or better yet, dappled sun! I doubt heat stress is a factor for many plants here- even on the warmest days my nights are mostly cool- we have days of 28-30C forecast sunday to tues (82-86F and by far the warmest we've had this year) and the warmest nights are 10C/50F..  Today is only supposed to get to 13C/55F and tonight down to 2C/35F.. guess those coloured semps are in no danger...lol

[McDonough]

Rick, your Sempervivum 'Jestor' is a nice lively color combination, I like it. 

Looking around the garden today, I noticed how Jovibarba heuffelii 'Gold Bug' has changed into its summar garb, thick leaves of orangish-tan on the outer leaves, with a glowing lime center.




An updated view of Sempervivum 'Brock' with anomalous stemless flowering.




Sempervium ciliosum var. borisii in summer becomes eye-catching white-chartreuse in appearance, among my favorite species.




Jovibarba heuffelii 'Torrid Zone' (earlier I said this was 'Hot Lips', should depend more on labels than on memory), ready to flower, with S. ciliosum var. borisii on the left and S. 'Nouveau Pastel' on the right.

[Lori S.]

My challenge is the opposite of yours- I have to think hard about what plants to give the few mostly fully exposed sites I have, and try to acquire plants which are okay with only a half day of sun, or better yet, dappled sun!

Don't sweat it too much.... they're not fussy plants and will grow pretty well anywhere.  I have some semps under trees where they don't get as much light as they might wish for, however, they do cover the ground and look decorative, nonetheless.

[cohan]

My challenge is the opposite of yours- I have to think hard about what plants to give the few mostly fully exposed sites I have, and try to acquire plants which are okay with only a half day of sun, or better yet, dappled sun!

Don't sweat it too much.... they're not fussy plants and will grow pretty well anywhere.  I have some semps under trees where they don't get as much light as they might wish for, however, they do cover the ground and look decorative, nonetheless.

I wasn't thinking so much about the Semps, which are mostly growing like gangbusters  and because they are among my faves they are getting some of the best spots- right in front of the house where they can be appreciated the whole time they are not  covered with snow!More so some other things that I might like to grow that I worry about enough light for, oh well! One can always try, and no site can grow everything  I do, though, on seedlists, lean to things that say north or east slopes, or under shrubberies, forest clearings (a term that describes most of my gardening area!) or at least amongst other forbs and grasses.. a lot of semps in nature have those semi-sheltered spots too- with grasses around, edges of trees etc..

[Lori S.]

Sempervivum thompsonianum, or so it was said to be:

[cohan]

Some semps from today, these are mostly from the same batch received several years ago as lost label, and planted in ground last year

[cohan]

And another batch..

[Hoy]

Well, Cohan, you have a nice collection there!

[cohan]

Thanks, Trond- that's not all of them, either! But I know compared to the real collectors, I have very few.. Some of them are quite prolific, too- I started with two small batches of tiny offsets I was sent several years ago, and I now have two new rock beds with mainly  semps in them, and still have many leftovers in pots! I can already imagine the first bed, planted last year, will have little empty space between the plants in another year or two...

[Hoy]

Thanks, Trond- that's not all of them, either! But I know compared to the real collectors, I have very few.. Some of them are quite prolific, too- I started with two small batches of tiny offsets I was sent several years ago, and I now have two new rock beds with mainly  semps in them, and still have many leftovers in pots! I can already imagine the first bed, planted last year, will have little empty space between the plants in another year or two...

Looks good anyway and you do have some pebbles too

I remember collecting stamps in my youth - I always had less than the real collectors - as with plants. Like here at the forum, it's always someone with more (and better) plants than yourself

[cohan]

And the serious collectors of course tend to be very focussed- I could never settle on one category of plants, let alone a genus 

[Hoy]

And the serious collectors of course tend to be very focussed- I could never settle on one category of plants, let alone a genus 

I can never be serious either; not to talk about focussed

[cohan]

I can never be serious either; not to talk about focussed

What were we talking about? 

[cohan]

Sempervivum 'Rhodenicum'; photo taken Oct 04, 2012, our heaviest frost so far this year, -5 to -9C; this is in my new named Semp and Alpine rock garden, in front of the house..