Succulent ID?

Discussion in 'Cacti and Succulents' started by shelilla, Oct 13, 2017.

  1. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    Got a big patch o' these growing in my backyard for a while now....I only ever knew them as "Hens & Chicks" and only recently realized they were a type of succulent. I'd like to know what they're really called since I'm thinking of giving some away to anyone who wants them, seeing as I have so many :)
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    Pretty sure they are native to Alberta. Anyone got a clue what species they are, and if there's more than one type or if it's just some look different cause they're older?

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  2. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Sempervivum. There are different species and many cultivars. Native to mountains of southern and middle Europe, north Africa and western Asia. It looks like you have at least two type there.

    Sempervivum - Wikipedia
     
  3. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    Thank you for the link and helpful information! I did try looking it up before, but there are so many similar varieties and Wikipedia doesn't straight-out give you a list of all the known kinds, so I was hoping to know the exact species? It's fine if not, I'm sure there's a list somewhere.

    Also, would you happen to know what species of cacti this is? And what is going on with the bottom of it and all those weird nubs it's growing?
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  4. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    It is a bit too young to identify reliably (and a flower would have helped), but it looks like a Parodia, subgenus Eriocactus (often included in Notocactus). The usual suspects are P. magnifica, shumanniana and warasii. The "nubs" are probably offsets, new stems, unless someone threw several seeds in one pot and this group actually are individual plants. What is the size of the plant? Eriocactus usually do not offset until they are bigger than what your plant seems to be.
     
  5. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    It definitely wasn't grown from a seed, at least not by me, so most likely are offsets, thank you for explaining that because it's very fascinating :)
    Here is a comparison to it and my hand:
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  6. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Ah, then it much bigger than I first thought, and it is less surprising that it is offsetting. And it is almost definitely from the Eriocactus group.
     
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  7. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    wow, those are beautiful - you're lucky.
    Keep them as groups, in masses
    they are very decorative and popular right now (just look up on Pinterest for example)

    some people even grow them in old picture frames or old work boots etc --- tho I don't know if they'd survive alberta winter in containers like those)

    don't over water them
    feed them lightly

    yes they divide and propagate easily

    you can see why they are called "Hen & Chicks" (usually a few big ones then all the little ones surrounding)

    i'm not aware of these being native to BC or AB --- maybe you're thinking of the low-growing native Lewisiia - aka Bitter root that you might see in the dry areas of Okanagan etc
    E-Flora BC Atlas Page

    or the native Sedums that grow in the Gulf Island rocky outcrops in BC
    E-Flora BC Atlas Page


     
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  8. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    Thank you! :D
    Huh, good to know. I've seen succulents in cool pots and know they are fairly popular but not this species yet so that's cool to know :D

    I don't remember how if I started growing them or they were already in the garden when we got them (pretty sure I planted them there when we moved), but we've literally done nothing- basically ignored them- for about 4 years, and they all did it themselves. It's very dry here and they're in a good part of the garden that gets a lot of sun, and they are really tough and somehow able to last through the winter when the ground freezes, so it's all them :). They are really resilient and tough, I don't even have to do anything and they keep on multiplying
    Yes, it's such a cute name and a really cool and unique survival strategy I think. Not many plants are able to make clones of themselves that roll off and produce more plants without even flowering!

    Hm, maybe? I think I had that in my head because I looked up Albertan succulents once and found some plants native to here that looked similar, and I was first given them by a friend here who also grew them outside -in a nice rock garden- when I was around 8. Most of all, not many cacti or succulents can survive multiple winters so I thought they must be native to North America somewhere
     
  9. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    Yeah, it does look pretty small if you don't see a size comparision, huh?
    Wow, cool to know. What is the function of those offsets its making? And is it possible then to propagate new cacti if you were to remove and separate the offsets?
    Also, how old would you think the cacti is then?

    Thanks :D
     
  10. mandarin

    mandarin Active Member 10 Years

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    Not my specialty, but I remember a few reasons. With several stems the plant can survive if the original stem dies. Another reason is that a tall, single plant needs to produce more wood to support it. It also increases the surface area to volume ratio, which has a positive effect on photosynthesis on the expense of succulence.

    A few cactus species (but not this one) reproduce by easily detached offsets. A stem whose apex has been damaged cannot grow normally but form offsets instead, this is a relatively common reason why a plant starts to branch. Some commercial growers do that intentionally to certain species to produce more impressive plants.

    Yes, and for this genus it is relatively easy.

    Difficult to estimate, the growth rate depends very much on light, temperature etc. For me it would take about 8 years to grow one to that size, but commercial growers can do it considerably faster.
     
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  11. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    As for identifying Sempervivum (and related genera) to species or cultivar, it is a difficult task. We had about 60 different kinds in a rock wall at UBC, and it is more than a challenge to keep them straight when labels are pinched.
     
  12. shelilla

    shelilla New Member

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    That is true. For the most part I figured out these kinds were Sempervivum tectorum, or the Common House Leek, but I don't know if the reddish ones are the same and just a variation or a different species.
    And that's one reason I want to go to UBC, most beautiful botanical gardens I could ever wish to be around :)
    Haha yes I know what you mean. I tried to dig up just one medium-sized plant recently, and it was nearly impossible to dig into the ground around it because they were so clumped together lol. They really are such lovely little plants though :)
     

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