Sempervivum Chick Charms Cherry Berry

Sempervivum Cherry Berry is the reddest of all the houseleeks in the new 'Chick Charms' series. It forms a superb carpet of large rosettes, transitioning from bright cherry red in spring and summer to water-washed green with a hint of red in autumn and winter. Its leaves, bordered with short silver cilia, sparkle like frost in the sun. Its pink flowering in small stars occurs on a beautiful summer day, emerging from rosettes aged 2 to 3 years. This small succulent plant is ideal for beautifying arid and mineral areas. The Chick Charms houseleeks are endearing perennials that quickly inspire the desire to collect them!

All houseleeks grow spontaneously in rocky grasslands, on rocks and scree, in open and sunny locations, mainly in mountainous areas. They are hardy succulent perennial plants of the Crassulaceae family that keep their foliage even in winter. 

Cherry Berry has thick and long roots that penetrate deeply into rock crevices, ensuring a good grip on the walls while drawing water from the depths. The plant quickly forms superb colonies of rosettes of different sizes, juxtaposed, reaching 7cm (3in) in height and over 10cm (4in) in diameter at maturity. Over time, it can form a dense carpet, spreading over 30cm (12in) on the ground, perfectly adapting to the terrain. Each pruinose rosette is composed of numerous spatulate leaves with pointed tips, without petioles. They are finely ciliate, and imbricated in one another. Their colour varies according to age, season, and climatic conditions. Here, the green colour of the leaves gradually develops cherry red tones, from the centre to the periphery of the rosettes, as the sunlight intensifies. The flowering appears on rosettes aged 2 or 3 years, which then disappear, having ensured the plant's perpetuity by producing several small rosettes on the periphery. The fluffy flower stalks, 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) tall, develop from June to August, formed by thick stems that bear 1 to 8 star-shaped flowers with 8 to 12 petals in shades of pink.

Cherry Berry is a boon for gardens where the soil lacks depth. It thrives where few species survive and colonises abandoned spaces. If your soil is poor, rather dry, stony, rocky, or even slightly chalky, you can still enjoy this hardy perennial (which withstands temperatures below -15°C (5°F)). It requires no maintenance and promises to enliven any pile of stones, a wall, or even a green roof. Chick Charms houseleeks are very easy-to-care-for succulent plants, offering flowers and foliage in various hues that will create stunning compositions. Magnificent in their pot arrangements, especially in low terrine-type pottery, they are irreplaceable in borders, troughs, or rockeries, alongside London pride (Saxifraga umbrosa), wall bellflowers, or Lewisia cotyledon. Consider choosing companions with staggered blooms (antennaria, small sedums, delosperma) and colourful foliage (Tanacetum densum subsp. amanii, Ajania pacifica, Hertia cheirifolia), for a varied and joyful rockery.