Sempervivum 'Garielle'

Sempervivum 'Garielle' is a cultivated member of what is commonly known as houseleeks, in the Crassulaceae family. It has been developed from species native to the mountainous regions of southern Europe, where they inhabit rocky slopes and shallow, well-drained soils in full sun. This ancestry provides the plant with strong tolerance to drought, poor soils, and freezing winter temperatures.

The rosettes are neat and symmetrical, with fleshy, triangular leaves that display a blend of green and red tones, often intensifying in cooler seasons or under strong light. Seasonal colour variation is a notable feature, with foliage shifting in response to environmental conditions. Offsets are produced in abundance, forming expanding mats over time. Like all Sempervivum, each rosette flowers once before dying, with offsets ensuring the continuation of the colony.

Flowering occurs in the warmer months, when mature rosettes send up a tall stem topped with clusters of star-shaped blooms. These flowers are usually pink to reddish in colour and attract various pollinating insects. After flowering and seed formation, the parent rosette dies back, leaving surrounding offsets to fill the space.

Care Tips:

• Light: Full sun promotes compact growth and enhances seasonal leaf colour.
• Water: Water sparingly, allowing the substrate to dry thoroughly between applications.
• Media: Use a gritty, free-draining mix suited to alpine and succulent plants.
• Fertiliser: Occasional feeding with a diluted, low-nitrogen fertiliser during active growth.
• Temperature: Hardy to frost and sub-zero temperatures when kept dry.
• Repotting: Rarely needed; divide offsets or refresh substrate when clusters become crowded.