Sempervivum Chick Charms Berry Blues

Sempervivum Berry Blues is another houseleek from the new 'Chick Charms' series, which is remarkable for its pastel colours. The large succulent rosettes of this variety are formed by long, beautifully incurved leaves. They are grey-blue in spring and summer, gradually turning purple and mauve in the cold, in autumn and winter. Its pink-purple flowering, in small stars, occurs in summer, on mature rosettes. This perennial spreads spontaneously by producing many daughter rosettes, which can be taken and replanted as desired. It is ideal for beautifying arid and mineral areas. The 'Chick Charms' sempervivums are charming perennials, which quickly inspire the desire to collect them!

All sempervivums grow spontaneously in rocky grasslands, on rocks and scree, in open and sunny locations, mainly in mountainous areas. They are hardy succulent perennial plants of the Crassulaceae family that keep their foliage even in winter.

Berry Blues has thick and long roots that penetrate deeply into rock crevices, ensuring a good grip on the walls while drawing water from the depths. The plant quickly forms superb colonies of rosettes of different sizes, juxtaposed, reaching 8cm (3in) in height and 10cm (4in) in diameter at maturity. Over time, this sempervivum can form a dense tapestry, spreading over 30cm (12in) on the ground, perfectly following the terrain. Each pruinose rosette is composed of numerous fairly narrow and elongated spatulate leaves with a pointed tip, without petioles. They are glabrous and curved towards the centre. Their colour changes with the season and climatic conditions. In spring and summer, the young leaves are rather grey-blue, with lavender reflections. Under the effect of cold and reduced sunlight, they gradually take on more purplish tones that brighten up the gloomy days of winter. The flowering appears on rosettes aged 2 or 3 years, which will then disappear, having ensured the plant's perpetuity by producing several small rosettes on the periphery. The fluffy flower stalks, 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) tall, develop from June to August, formed by thick stems that bear 1 to 8 star-shaped flowers with 8 to 12 petals in shades of purplish-pink.

Berry Blues is a blessing for gardens where the soil lacks depth. It thrives where few species survive and colonises abandoned spaces. If your soil is poor, rather dry, stony, rocky, or even slightly chalky, you can still enjoy this hardy perennial (which withstands temperatures below -15°C (5°F)). It requires no maintenance and promises to enliven any pile of stones, a wall, or even a green roof. Chick Charms houseleeks are very easy-to-care-for succulent plants, offering flowers and foliage in various hues that will create stunning compositions. Magnificent in their pot arrangements, especially in low terrine-type pottery, they are irreplaceable in borders, troughs, or rockeries, alongside London pride (Saxifraga umbrosa), wall bellflowers, or Lewisia cotyledon. Consider choosing companions with staggered blooms (antennaria, small sedums, delosperma) and colourful foliage (Tanacetum densum subsp. amanii, Ajania pacifica, Hertia cheirifolia), for a varied and joyful rockery.