Sempervivum marmoreum 'ornatum'

Succulent perennial of the Crassulaceae family, Sempervivum marmoreum is a species native to the Balkans and Carpathians, where it colonizes rocks, cliffs, and sunny screes on various substrates, calcareous or siliceous. The 'Ornatum' cultivar is distinguished from the type species by a particularly intense and sustained coloration.

The rosettes, medium to large in size, 5 to 10 cm in diameter, are composed of broad, fleshy leaves with a mucronate tip, in a deep purple-red to almost dark burgundy, with a base remaining greener depending on the season and exposure. The edge of the leaves is finely white-ciliated, a detail that is well noticeable in low light and accentuates the contrast with the general hue of the rosette. Under intense sunlight, the pigmentation can turn to a very dark reddish-brown, almost mahogany.

The clumps develop into dense and regular cushions, through active stolonization, quickly forming compact and homogeneous colonies particularly effective as ground cover or on dry stone walls.

The flowers are pink to pink-purple, star-shaped, borne on fleshy stems 15 to 25 cm dressed with reddish sheathing leaves. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from June to August. In cultivation, it generally occurs in July.

Easy culture in full sun, any well-drained substrate; hardy and resistant, it adapts as well to rock gardens as to dry stone walls or shallow pots.