Sempervivum Ruby Star

Sempervivum 'Ruby Star' (BigSam™ Series) is a recent variety of houseleek, featuring very large evergreen rosettes in purple-violet, shaded with red. Thriving in dry and not too rich soils, it will work well in pots and rockeries and will gradually form an attractive, efficient, and undemanding ground cover.

Houseleeks, or Jupiter's Beard (referring to their shaggy appearance) belong to the Crassulaceae family, which includes, among others, sedums, kalanchoes, aeoniums, ... almost all of which are succulent plants (also known as crassulacean plants, referring to the family), capable of storing water in their thick leaves and resisting long droughts. Sempervivum are no exception and can even establish themselves on very shallow supports, such as the moss carpet on old roofs or the crevices in an old stone wall. They were once believed to have the power to repel lightning, and their presence was encouraged on buildings. They form persistent rosettes, resembling small "artichokes," with spoon-shaped leaves ending in a point. In early summer, rosettes aged 2-3 years produce a tall flower stalk of 10 to 30 cm, impressive compared to the size of the plant, but with relatively inconspicuous pink flowers. Generally, the "mother" rosette dies after flowering, leaving behind numerous small rosettes that will take its place and gradually enlarge the clump, eventually forming a charming dense and low-growing ground cover. Wild species are mostly a beautiful bluish-green or tender green, often with a thin waxy layer to protect them from the sun's heat.

In recent years, horticultural selection has brought forth superb cultivars with more original foliage and colours. The houseleeks of the recent BigSam™ series stand out for their particularly large and robust rosettes, reaching 12 to 15 cm in diameter. The 'Ruby Star' variety has entirely reddish-purple rosettes, sometimes reddish-violet, with occasional bluish or slightly greener touches if lacking sunlight. A magnificent ever-evolving tableau!

Houseleeks are undemanding, hardy, and resistant, they simply require a sunny exposure and not too rich, well-drained soil, preferably sandy or rocky. In overly rich soil or partial shade, the rosettes tend to become elongated and lose their elegance. If winters are humid, make sure to raise your plants slightly or improve drainage by adding coarse sand, gravel, or pumice. In these conditions, they can withstand -15°C without any problem. They are capable of enduring long dry periods, especially if the substrate is deep enough to allow their fleshy roots to establish properly.

Due to their generous and water-tolerant nature, houseleeks make excellent container plants, perfect for sunny rockeries, alongside a 'April Night' woodland sage, immortelle, Cat's Eyes dwarf iris, or dryland grasses like Sesleria heufleriana.