About Sempervivum arachnoideum L.
Sempervivum arachnoideum, commonly called the cobweb house-leek, is a flowering plant species in the Crassulaceae family. It is native to the mountain ranges of Europe: the Alps, Apennines, and Carpathians. This is a rosette-forming succulent perennial that grows 8 cm (3 in) tall and reaches up to 30 cm (12 in) wide. It is popular in cultivation because it can colonize hot, dry areas by producing offsets. The species epithet arachnoideum comes from the furry appearance of its central rosettes, caused by long ciliate leaf margins that look like spider webs. It blooms in July, producing pink hermaphroditic flowers that grow on raised stems, with both male and female reproductive organs. Both the main species and its subspecies Sempervivum arachnoideum subsp. tomentosum have earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
