Monrovia Semponiums

[Aeonium2003]

I just learnt that Monrovia is selling all of the xSemponium varieties. Some nurseries in the US that carry Monrovia plants might be selling the xSemponiums.
https://www.monrovia.com/search/?q=semponium

Seen today at a local nursery. xSemponium 'Diamond' for $25.

[Paul S]

These were raised by a nursery in England called Surreal Succulents and their release a few years ago at one of the most prestigious flower shows caused something of a stir in the horticultural world. Sadly, the word from those who have grown these is that there is very litte, if any, sempervivum gene involved. The purported hardiness has never materialised and they just look exactly like aeoniums. I believe they have been keeping the parentage a secret but the name implies sempervivum is the mother, in which case they were either desperately unlucky or have been misrepresenting the origins. Certainly I was given offsets of a couple that didn't quite make it to being named and they died almost immediately it got cold. Given the staggeringly high price tag these commanded initially it does make you question exactly what was going on.

Didn't help that the 2 guys who ran the nursery ended up falling out - as in rolling around on the floor trading punches - real school playground stuff. One (the victor?) bought the other out and runs it alone. What the cause of this rift was one can only guess.

[mickthecactus]

I was going to say that I can’t see much Sempervivum there.

[edds]

I'm growing a few and they are very much Aeonium-like with little growing tendency or hardiness from Semps.

Interestingly Paul, the guy who seemed to leave sent an email to those subscribed to Surreal's emails about his new venture yesterday.

[Paul S]

That is interesting. What is the new venture called?

[edds]

Primal Plants apparently.

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[Aeonium2003]

They actually stated that the parentage of these is Aeonium "Ice Warrior"* x Sempervivum 'Green Ice'.
*"Ice Warrior" is A. 'Cyclops' x smithii
They also said that these are only hardy down to -4 celsius; not very cold hardy...

Edds, I'm curious, but do these grow year round? Or do they have a dormancy period like the parents? Also, are they as vigorous as they were claimed to be?

[edds]

For me they seem to be growing just like Aeonium so far. Our summers here don't generally get warm enough for a summer dormancy so it will be interesting to see what happens in warmer climates. If I had watered them more over winter, I think they would have kept growing like their Aeonium parent.

Bear in mind that, as both parents were offspring you're going to get a lot of random assortment of genetics and it will also be very difficult to know which genes are dominant or recessive. So even though they are 50% Sempervivum in terms of genetic mass, they might be only 5% in terms of genetic expression if the Aeonium genes are generally dominant.

And I think the growth habit of an Aeonium hybrid might be more closely linked to its hardiness than its genetic make up might indicate. I think there's a lot of 'Cyclops’ in 'Ice Warrior' (I grow both).