Sempervivum 'Commander Hay'

Sempervivum 'Commander Hay': Big, Bold Rosettes in Purple-Red

Some hens and chicks are cute. This one is large, purplish-red and running the rock garden like a tight ship. Big rosettes, green tips and the posture of somebody who's never been told no. BIG ROSETTE ENERGY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sempervivum 'Commander Hay'
• Common Name: Hens and Chicks
• Height: 10 cm (4 in), taller when in flower
• Spread: 15–30 cm (6–12 in), widening as offsets form
• Flowers: Starry flowers in soft pink to reddish tones on short, thick stalks from mature rosettes
• Bloom Time: Midsummer (July)
• Foliage: Large evergreen rosettes of purplish-red leaves with green tips

Where to Plant: Its size makes it a natural focal point in a trough, a strawberry pot, a rock garden or a gravel bed. Tuck it into wall crevices and between stepping stones where it's sunny and dry.

Companion Plants: Give 'Commander Hay' a sunny gravel bed or wall with lilac globes, painted daisies and raspberry coneflowers. Echinacea KISMET® 'Raspberry' adds raspberry coneflowers at 40 to 45 cm from June to October. Tanacetum 'Robinson's Giant Mix' brings painted daisies at 45 to 75 cm in June and July. Allium 'Gladiator' opens lilac-purple globes at 90 to 120 cm in May and June. Schizachyrium 'The Blues' rises at 60 to 90 cm in powder blue.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in very well-drained, gritty soil. Sharp drainage matters more than anything else. Avoid clay that stays wet, and in pots use a cactus mix with drainage holes. Water to establish, then only in extended dry spells. Don't fertilize. Lean soil and strong sun keep the rosettes compact and well coloured. A rosette that blooms dies afterwards. Twist out the old rosette and stalk, and the chicks will take over the space. Separate and replant chicks during the growing season.

History: 'Commander Hay' is a long-grown garden hybrid, listed by the Royal Horticultural Society as hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe, though we couldn't confirm who bred it or who it was named for. The genus name Sempervivum means "always living" in Latin, which suits a plant that shrugs off cold and drought.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in a sunny pot or a crack in the wall and let it raise its brood. Deer pass. NO WATERING SCHEDULE REQUIRED.