Natural cobweb
White tip hairs connect over the rosette.
Sempervivum arachnoideum 8.5cm
Normal price
€4,50
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?
The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.
Sempervivumarachnoideum
It sees the cold and carries on ❄️
- Crassulaceae
- Alpine outdoor plant
- Full sun
- Frost hardy
- Sensitive to winter wet
Sempervivum arachnoideum forms a colony of small tightly composed rosettes, with fine white hairs bridging the tips like a genuine spider’s web. This intricate mesh softens the pointed leaves and gives the cluster the appearance of a snow-covered micro-landscape or handmade lace. Contrast between green bodies and silvery fibres is instantly recognisable, making every rosette resemble an individual miniature jewel.
As offsets multiply, the rosettes join into a rich tapestry of different sizes, green and reddish tones and constant small changes. Flowering on a mature rosette adds vertical movement while the wider colony continues to fill the composition. This is a highly photogenic Sempervivum with strong collector character, perfect for anyone drawn to natural textures and plant forms that appear to come from a storybook.
What makes it distinctive
Cobweb hairs, alpine hardiness and colonial growth make it an outdoor plant, not a typical indoor succulent.
A living colony
Offsets gradually fill shallow pots and crevices.
Seasonal colour
Cold and light alter anthocyanin tones.
Why you’ll love it: it tolerates a real winter and turns a shallow pot into a miniature alpine landscape.
In your spacePlacement & plant pairingsWhere it looks its best and which plants sit comfortably alongside it
Where it looks its best
Keep outdoors year-round in full sun, in a shallow pot or rock garden with excellent drainage and no standing winter rain.
Plants that complement it
Pair with hardy alpine succulents, not tropical indoor species.
- Sempervivum tectorum — larger clean rosettes in the same outdoor cycle.
- Sedum spurium — a low trailing mat with similar hardiness.
- Sedum album — finer texture between rosettes.
Care at a glance
Light
Full outdoor sun; indoors it loses compact form.
Watering
Water after dry-down in growth; minimal added water in a wet winter.
Climate
Frost hardy but requires airflow and protection from stagnant winter wet.
Pets
Not intended for consumption; keep small parts and flower stalks out of chewing reach.
Selected for this plant
Substrate & feeding
Detailed careComplete care guideLight, watering, seasonal rhythm, substrate and feeding in detail
Light and position
Full outdoor sun; indoors it loses compact form.
How to water
Water after dry-down in growth; minimal added water in a wet winter.
Air and humidity
Outdoor airflow dries the dense web after rain.
Temperature and seasonal rhythm
Active spring–autumn and hardy in winter cold; wet saturation is a greater risk than dry frost.
Substrate
Highly mineral shallow mix with grit and absolute drainage.
Feeding, repotting and handling
Minimal spring feeding; rich fertiliser produces soft growth.
Botanical identityIdentity & natural originAccepted name, cultivar history and the wild plant’s natural range
Accepted name
The accepted name is Sempervivum arachnoideum L., a species in the Crassulaceae.
Described by Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus published the species in 1753; it is not a trade cultivar.
European mountains
Its native range runs from northern Spain through the Alps to the Apennines in sunny rocky alpine sites.
From natural habitat to care: Exposed alpine rocks provide strong sun, frost and almost no standing water. In a pot, that means a permanent outdoor position, shallow mineral mix and protection chiefly from wet winter saturation—not from normal dry frost.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific facts nobody asked forBotanical detail for anyone who wants to understand the structures behind the plant’s appearance
The cobweb is leaf hair
Tip hairs interlock between neighbouring leaves.
Each rosette is monocarpic
It flowers once and dies, while offsets continue.
Anthocyanins change seasonally
Cold and light can redden the rosette.
Hardiness does not mean wet tolerance
Frozen saturated mix damages roots and crowns.
Frequently asked questions
Plant-specific answers for Sempervivum arachnoideum, from light and watering to its seasonal rhythm.
01Which light keeps the correct form?
Full outdoor sun; indoors it loses compact form.
02When does it genuinely need water?
Water after dry-down in growth; minimal added water in a wet winter.
03What changes through the year?
Active spring–autumn and hardy in winter cold; wet saturation is a greater risk than dry frost.
04Why did one rosette die after flowering?
This is normal monocarpic behaviour; remove the dry rosette when loose and leave the offsets.
05Can it live indoors?
Not as a correct permanent position: it needs outdoor sun, air and a cold seasonal cycle.
06What about pets and children?
Not intended for consumption; keep small parts and flower stalks out of chewing reach.
📦 Your plant travels protected
Every order is prepared with care so your plant arrives upright, secure and safe.
Individual protection
Plants in pots with a capacity of 3 litres or more are placed in individual boxes that hold the pot securely and reduce the risk of tipping over.
Sturdy packaging
We use reinforced cardboard designed to protect against impacts and vibration during transport.