Sempervivum 'Purple Haze'

Sempervivum 'Purple Haze' is a cultivated variety in the Crassulaceae family, originating from breeding programmes using species native to the mountainous regions of southern Europe. In the wild, these species occupy rocky outcrops and thin, mineral-rich soils, surviving exposure to intense sun, seasonal drought, and winter frost. This background makes the cultivar resilient and easy to grow in well-drained conditions.

The rosettes are tight and symmetrical, with fleshy, triangular leaves that can take on deep purple to reddish tones, often most intense in cooler seasons or under strong light. The foliage colour shifts subtly with seasonal changes, and offsets are produced generously around the base, forming spreading clusters over time. As with all Sempervivum, rosettes are monocarpic and die after flowering, replaced by the surrounding offsets.

Flowering usually occurs in the warmer months, when mature rosettes send up a sturdy stem topped with clusters of star-shaped blooms. The flowers are typically pink to reddish and are visited by various pollinating insects. After seed formation, the flowering rosette dies back, leaving space for younger growth to continue the colony’s expansion.

Care Tips:

• Light: Provide full sun to bring out the richest leaf colour and maintain compact form.
• Water: Water sparingly, allowing the substrate to dry thoroughly between applications.
• Media: Use a gritty, sharply draining mix suitable for alpine and succulent species.
• Fertiliser: Light feeding with a diluted, low-nitrogen fertiliser during the growing season if necessary.
• Temperature: Withstands frost and sub-zero temperatures when kept dry.
• Repotting: Minimal; divide and replant offsets or refresh the substrate as required.