Sempervivum 'Red Robin'

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Most of our plants are shipped bare-root. Please note that the plant you receive may not be an exact likeness of the images shown.

A compact, richly coloured houseleek with deep red rosettes that intensify in cooler weather. ‘Red Robin’ forms tidy, low clusters, making it perfect for rockeries, troughs, or tucked between stones. Hardy and drought-tolerant, this striking Sempervivum thrives on neglect — just give it sun and good drainage. A bold little addition with big impact.

Also known as:

Where it thrives

Sunlight Full Sun 5+ hrs of sun

Recommended location Rockery

Recommended location Patio

Recommended location Outdoor Tabletop

Recommended location In the Ground

Plant characteristics

Growability Beginner

Growth form Ground/ pot cover

Growth rate Moderate

Minimum temperature -15°C

Mature size, height and width 25cm x 25cm

Foliage colour Red, Green, and Pink

On Arrival

Sempervivum 'Red Robin' is sent bare-root. Unpack it promptly and either pot it up or plant it out into free-draining, gritty compost or soil, spreading the roots naturally and keeping the crown level with the surface (never buried).

Settle it in with one light watering, then let all excess moisture drain away. A bright, sunny, airy spot suits it best; a bare-root rosette may look a little limp at first but plumps up and roots quickly, often within a couple of weeks.

Once anchored it needs almost nothing from you. Full sun, sharp drainage and airflow matter far more than watering, and from there this tough little alpine simply gets on with spreading.

We supply the recommended care essentials for mail order. Find the relevant products here: succulent compost

Watering

Sempervivum 'Red Robin' is extremely drought-tolerant. Water it in lightly after planting, then leave established plants to nature; in normal UK conditions rain provides all the moisture they need, and they will happily go weeks without water.

Containers dry faster than open ground, so give them an occasional soak in prolonged summer heat, directing water at the gritty compost rather than into the rosette. Always let the compost drain freely afterwards.

The single greatest risk is winter wet, not cold. Where drainage is sharp, ordinary rain is fine; it is standing water and sodden compost around the crown that cause rot. Never let the roots sit wet through autumn and winter.

We supply the recommended care essentials for mail order. Find the relevant products here: succulent compost

Light and position

Give Sempervivum 'Red Robin' Full Sun - 5+ Hours of Sun. Suitable positions include Rockery, Patio, Outdoor Tabletop, and In the Ground. Full, open sun is essential: it keeps the rosettes tight and compact and brings out the strongest Red, Green, and Pink tones and reliable flowering.

In shade or under taller neighbours the rosettes stretch, pale and lose their colour, so keep the plant clear of anything that will overshadow it as the season fills out. Trim back encroaching growth rather than let it cast shade.

Good airflow matters as much as sunshine, especially in wet spells. Clear fallen leaves and debris that could trap moisture against the rosettes.

Compost and drainage

Plant Sempervivum 'Red Robin' in an airy, gritty, sharply drained mix. For containers use roughly 50% multi-purpose or loam-based compost to 50% horticultural grit or perlite, and always choose a pot with open drainage holes. These alpines actively prefer poor, lean, stony ground.

In the garden, improve heavy soil with plenty of grit and plant on a slight mound, raised bed or wall pocket where winter water drains away quickly. A mineral top-dressing of grit around the base keeps the lowest leaves off damp soil.

Do not enrich the site. Rich soil produces soft, loose growth; Sempervivums stay tightest, best-coloured and most weatherproof in moderately lean, free-draining conditions.

We supply the recommended care essentials for mail order. Find the relevant products here: succulent compost horticultural grit perlite

Feeding

Sempervivum 'Red Robin' needs very little feeding, and lean conditions give the best colour and form. Plants in open ground and fresh gritty compost generally need no fertiliser at all.

If a long-established potted plant looks weak, a single dilute, balanced feed in spring is plenty. Feed only once growth is active and the compost is moist.

Avoid over-feeding. Excess nutrients force soft, lush, stretched growth that loses colour, spoils the tight rosette shape and is far more prone to winter damage.

We supply the recommended care essentials for mail order. Find the relevant products here: succulent compost

Winter care

Sempervivum 'Red Robin' is a fully frost-hardy alpine that lives outdoors year-round; its recorded minimum is -15°C. It shrugs off hard UK frost and snow, so no heating or bringing indoors is needed, and it must not be kept warm and dark inside.

Winter care is really about keeping the roots and crown from sitting wet. Ensure drainage stays sharp, clear fallen leaves and soggy debris from around the rosettes, and if a container cannot drain freely tip it on its side or move it under an open shelter during long wet spells.

The rosettes may close up, flush deeper colour or look a little tired in the cold; this is normal and they green up and grow away again in spring.

Summer care

Sempervivum 'Red Robin' revels in summer sun and copes easily with ordinary drought once established. Water only newly planted rosettes through extended dry spells, and give pots the occasional soak in real heat.

Keep neighbouring plants and weeds cut back so nothing shades or smothers the colony, and maintain a clear layer of grit around the crown. Strong light through summer builds the best colour.

Mature rosettes may send up a flower spike; this changes their shape and is part of the plant's natural cycle. Remove spent stems once dried, unless you want to collect seed.

Repotting

Repot or divide Sempervivum 'Red Robin' in spring when the colony fills its container, the compost has broken down or the mat becomes congested. There is no urgency; Sempervivums are happy quite crowded.

Lift the clump, separate healthy rosettes with their own roots and replant at the same depth in fresh, gritty compost, discarding any dead or flowered rosettes. Firm in gently around the base.

Water once to settle the roots, then let the compost drain. Newly divided plants establish quickly in a bright, airy spot.

We supply the recommended care essentials for mail order. Find the relevant products here: succulent compost

Common problems

The most alarming-looking event is harmless: a rosette flowers, then dies. This is the plant's natural monocarpic cycle, not a disease, and the Sempervivum 'Red Robin' colony is not failing. Remove the dry flowered rosette and let the offsets close the space.

The one genuine killer is rot from winter wet or poor drainage. Soft, browning or collapsing crowns mean trapped moisture; sharpen the drainage, clear wet debris and make sure nothing smothers the rosettes.

Pale, loose, stretched growth means too little sun or too much feeding. Move the plant into full sun, stop feeding, and let tight, well-coloured new rosettes replace it.

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Sempervivum 'Red Robin'

Where it thrives

How to care for Sempervivum 'Red Robin'

Plant characteristics

On Arrival

Watering

Light and position

Compost and drainage

Feeding

Winter care

Summer care

Repotting

Common problems

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Frequently Asked
Questions

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Sempervivum 'Red Robin'

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