Sempervivum arachnoideum

Description

Sempervivum  arachnoideum is known as the cobweb houseleek as it has small hairs resembling a spiders web going from leaf tip to leaf tip. It is one of the smaller sempervivums, with a single rosette seldom reaching more than 5cm across. It freely produces offsets to form a dense mat.

As with all sempervivums, the leaf colouring varies from season to season. The fleshy outer leaves often have dark purple red tips which sometimes covers the whole leaf. At other times the leaf can be green at the base. A delightful houseleek which will brighten up anyone’s collection providing colour all year round. Pink flowers produced in summer. Sempervivums usually take a few years to flower and, once flowered, they die. However they will have produced many ‘chicks’ (offsets) by this time which continue the mound and soon fill in the gap left by the flowered plant.

A hardy plant which should survive normal winter conditions outside, especially in well drained soil with protection from winter wet. If grown in pots it is recommended to place in a sheltered position for the winter.

Supplied in a 7cm square pot.

More Details:

FAMILY: Crassulaceae 
SYNONYMS:
COMMON NAME: Cobweb Houseleek, Hens and Chicks
NATIVE:
HEIGHT: 12 cm (5″)
SPREAD: 20cm (8″)
SOIL TYPE: All, prefers a poor, well drained soil, chalk, loam, sand
SOIL PH: Neutral, Alkaline
ASPECT: Sun, part shade
UK HARDINESS: Hardy
FLOWERING TIME:  Spring, Summer
FLOWER COLOUR: Pink
PESTS: Pest resistant though look out for vine weevil and sempervivum leaf miner