Sempervivum arachnoideum Santis

Sempervivum 'Santis' is a beautiful cultivar of the cobweb houseleek, a curious alpine species that has fine bristles forming a delicate veil on its rosettes. Underneath the shimmering bristles, 'Santis' leaves have a fairly dark red colour with a hint of acid green. The centre of the rosette, composed of very young leaves, is the same lime green. From the heart of the oldest rosettes emerges a small stem of pink to crimson star-shaped flowers with fleshy petals. They are particularly beautiful against the red foliage. Sempervivum is a small succulent plant ideal for arid and mineral areas that it covers with a geometric and colourful carpet. It requires nothing more than an open location. Without any maintenance, it survives almost without soil, in dry, poor, siliceous or limestone environment, and relies on rainwater, even if it is scarce. 

Belonging to the Crassulaceae family, Sempervivum 'Santis' is proof that poor soil and a mineral backdrop can accommodate very pretty specimens with rich hues. Its ancestor is the cobweb houseleek. Quite variable in appearance, this species lives on rocks or in scree, dispersing its fine seeds in crevices and clinging to the smallest cracks to slowly form small colonies of rosettes of different sizes, juxtaposed. The rosettes of the 'Santis houseleek' are medium-sized (6 to 8cm (2 to 3in) in diameter). Over time, this plant can form a spreading carpet up to 40cm (16in) on the ground through its stoloniferous stems, perfectly conforming to the terrain. Resembling a small artichoke, each rosette is composed of numerous pointed leaves, without petioles, connected by a slight silky weaving in the centre. The white threads, stretched between the leaves, shine in the sun. The roots of this perennial are thick and long. They penetrate deeply into rock crevices, ensuring a good attachment to the walls while drawing water from deep below. Flowering appears on rosettes that are 2 or 3 years old, which will then disappear, having ensured their perpetuity by producing several small peripheral rosettes. The flowering stems develop in summer, formed by thick stems that bear 1 to 5 flowers with 8 to 10 pink petals and a purple median. 

Sempervivum 'Santis' is ideal for areas in the garden where soil is scarce, in rockeries, above a wall, and in any mineral setting. If your soil is poor, rather dry, stony, rocky, or even slightly calcareous, you can still enjoy this hardy perennial (which withstands temperatures below -15°C (5°F)). It requires no maintenance and promises to bring life to any pile of stones, a wall, or even a green roof. Houseleeks are unusual and easy-to-care-for succulent plants that quickly become endearing. Their flowers and foliage with various hues create a desire to collect them, multiply them, and create amazing displays in the most inhospitable places. Their sculptural appearance is magnificent, especially in low "terrine" type pottery. They are irreplaceable in borders, troughs, or rockeries, in the company of wall bellflowers, paronychia, sedum, or Lewisia cotyledon. Consider choosing companions with staggered flowering times (Antennaria dioica, thymes, delosperma, ficoides, Euphorbia myrsinites) to create a variegated and joyful rockery.