Sunday 18 August 2013

Sempervivum Sunday: S. 'Titania'

Todays pick is a bit of an illusionist; for it seems bigger than it is. S. 'Titania' is a cultivar from the US, apparently created by Ed Skrocki in 1980.  It is a very regal looking plant, with olive/gold leaves with burnt orange tips.


Size wise, it fits into the medium group, being 6 - 10cm across. It always strikes me as bigger though, maybe because it stays in fairly small clumps. It is quite a fast grower, but tends to only produce 2 or 3 offsets on medium length stolons. These root a little way from the parent plant, giving a feeling of a cluster of individual plants instead of a more defined clump. The rosettes are a good structured neat shape and stay that way throughout their life.

Sadly its flowers let it down a bit, being a very pale pink on the end of thin unbranched stems.  Flowers mid summer and have finished by August.


If planted with very good drainage, it is fine over winter, but you do have to watch it doesn't sit in damp soil. Overall it is another one of my favourites.

The stats:

  • Cultivar from US
  • Size: medium, 6 - 10cm
  • Summer Colour: olive/gold with burnt orange tips
  • Rosette: Neat
  • Offsets: Few, on medium length stolons
  • Clump: Doesn't tend to clump, instead new plants settle a little way form the parent
  • Flower: Pink on thin stalks
  • Winter hardiness: Good, although does not like sitting in water.

2 comments:

  1. If you pics of your semps are recent, you sure maintain good color on your plants. Here in Maryland, in July and August, our plants just lose most of their color and end up a muddy green, or a muddy purple. Only the cobweb types stay moderately attractive. Anyway, Titania is another very nice looking plant and your container selection shows it off beautifully. I'm just envious of the colors you maintain on your semps during the summer. Very nice.

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    1. Thanks. The top photo was taken on Sunday. I guess the fact that it is rare to get above 30C here really helps. I have noticed a big difference this year, when we have actually had some hot weather compared to the last few terrible summers. Titania really seems to keep its colour well for me.

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