Interesting Plant: Sempervivum ‘Westerlin’

Interesting Plant: Sempervivum ‘Westerlin’

Sempervivum (pron.: /sɛmpəˈvaɪvəm/),[1] is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the Crassulaceae family, known as houseleeks. Other common names include liveforever and hen and chicks. They are succulent perennials forming mats composed of tufted leaves in rosettes. In favourable conditions they spread rapidly via offsets, and several species are valued in cultivation as groundcover for dry, sunny spots.[2] — Wikipedia

An amazingly colored “Hens and Chicks” — the common name for sempervivums. My grandmother always had tons of these in pots which alternated between houseplants and container plants according to the season. The common name comes from the sempervivums trait of throwing off offsets along its edge which can eventually — and easily — be detached and grown into new plants.

More information on Sedum sarmentosum:

• Sempervivum ‘Westerlin’ on All Things Plants
• Sempervivum on Wikipedia
• Sempervivum cultivars on Alpine Garden Society

Previously in the Interesting Plant series: 

• Gladiolus ‘Kings Lynn’
• Hosta sieboldiana ‘Dorothy Benedict’
• Begonia “Escargot”
• Asparagus Pea (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)
• Rosa banksiae (Lady Banks’ Rose)
• Primula ‘Victoriana Silver Laced Black’
• Oxalis versicolor
• Poached Egg Plant (Limnanthes douglasii)
• Parisian Carrots
• Fritillaria imperialis Rubra Maxima
• Clematis “Fascination”
• Swiss Chard “Bright Lights”
• Georgia Rattlesnake Melon
• Dianthus Barbathus “Green Ball” or “Green Trick”
• Coleus “Religious Radish”
• Black Forest Calla Lily
• Black Bamboo