Jovibarba heuffelii 'Gold Bug'

These plants- Jovibarba heuffelii - are similar to echeverias and are grown in a similar manner. There are three accepted species within the genus Jovibarba and heuffelii is the one which doesn't produce babies in the same manner as the rest of  the semps and Jovibarbas. In this case, division requires that the plantlets be cut apart with a clean, sharp knife.

This is the cultivar 'Gold Bug'. The color will vary considerably during different times of the year, but right now they're just glowing with color. We will be offering these at the June sale of the Oregon Cactus & Succulent Society and on line.

Enjoy your plants!

Cyclamen coum

I know the photo's a little out of focus but it shows some plants in our Alpine box, mostly sempervivums. But along the back are the Cyclamen coum, a very hardy little bulb from the mountains of Bulgaria, Turkey and Lebanon. During the summer they go dormant but can be made into a lovely little centerpiece by raising the bulb and placing it in a small bonsai pot. And at this time of year, they provide a real "pick me up" of winter flowers.

Sempervivum 'Bella Donna'

Tonight another alpine, Sempervivum 'Bella Donna'. In most climates (the exception being overly hot and dry climates) these are extremely easy to grow. So easy, in fact, that it's hard to get many people to take them seriously. These are those "hand me down" or "pick some up on the morning walk through the neighborhood" plants. They aren't called "Hens & Chicks" or "Live Forevers" (Semper = forever; vivum = live) for no reason.

But give these plants a second look. They're succulent but do best in cooler climates. They tolerate a wide variety of soils but do best in the worst of soils - with good drainage. Rock gardens, certainly. Green roofs, of course. But not for a house plant, thank you. They like the rough and tumble of outdoor life, year around.

Sempervivum 'Mrs. Giuseppi'

We obtained our first plant of this outstanding Sempervivum from the late Helen Payne (author of the now out of print Plant Jewels of the High Country) of the renowned Oak Hill Nursery of many years ago.  It produces beautiful 3" rosettes which thrive in the rock garden and rock wall. It's always been one of our favorites.

Enjoy your plants!

Sempervivum 'Oddity'

From our patio area comes this pot of Sempervivum 'Oddity', in the midst of a planting of Sedum reflexum 'Angelina'. The oddity was developed by succulent enthusiast Sandy McPherson way back in 1977. It promptly won the 1978 Bronze Rosette Award for best new variety and is widely available today. 'Angelina is certainly showy and very useful in landscaping, but can take over if not used judiciously.

Sempervivum 'Red Beauty'

Another semp we've recently added to our supply is this gem: Sempervivum 'Red Beauty'. As with most sempervivums, the appearance can be quite variable, depending on the light and the soil.

Sempervivum 'Saturn'

Ever since we bought plants from the late Helen Payne of Oak Hill Gardens near Dallas, Oregon (and author of Plant Jewels of the High Country), we've grown and enjoyed a wide variety of Semps. They're great plants with much more to offer than one would guess from their common name "Hens and Chicks". Some of the cultivars are really quite outstanding. This example is called 'Saturn'. In our area they're really quite easy to grow, though I understand that in some of the drier and hotter areas they can present a bit of a challenge.

Being alpine plants they like good drainage and look their best when planted in a strata which isn't overly fertile.

Semlpervivum 'Jungle Shadows'

And today's winner is...Sempervivum 'Jungle Shadows'. This is one of the ones which get quite large.
Because these are such easy care plants, they're being used along with hardy Sedums to create "green roofs". We have a lot of these being built in this area now.

Sempervivum calcarium 'Mrs. Guiseppi'

Another one of the classic semps: Sempervivum calcarium 'Mrs. Guiseppi'. Hardy just about anywhere, these plants do their best in rather poor soil. Who could ask for more?

Sempervivum 'Ohio Burgundy'

I don't think I've ever posted any of the succulent alpines before. Though often viewed as "common" since the multiply so rapidly and are often shared from neighbor's gardens, there are some really wonderful cultivars which show off nicely in a rock garden. This one's an old timer: Ohio Burgundy.

We obtained our first "semps" back in the 60's from Helen Payne's nursery in the Willamette Valley. She wrote the now out-of-print classic "Plant Jewels of the High Country". They're often referred to as "Hens and Chicks", but of course so are Echeverias.