PlantFiles: Cobweb Houseleek, Spider Web Hens and Chicks
Sempervivum arachnoideum

I have Sempervivum Hens and Chicks 'Frosty'. They are small, green, tight clusters, like little pin cushions, and covered with fine cobwebs, forming a dense 'pool' of white fuzz in their center. When it starts to open up to flower, you can see its burgundy tips. I got the beautiful pink flowers after one winter in the ground, in late June.

After several years in a small pot, my plant burst into bloom and looks quite like a tiny Gaudi cathedral!

Just did some more research and my picture of the one with reddish leaves may be cultivar "Cebenese"

Edgewood, Washington
The "cobweb" hen & chick if blooming in red is sempervivum arachnoideum rubrum. I have charished this interesting little fellow for years. Has survived, rain, hail, snow, sleet. Deep freezes and never fails to delight me with its durability. Love the cobweb affect, arachnoideum refers to arachnoids, or spiders. Rubrum is red, for the bloom. Good luck, and happy gardening.

Some commercial sources sell this plant as Sempervivum arachnoidem cv. 'Cobweb' although there is little supporting evidence for it being a cultivar.

Always an interesting plant and easy to grow but resents winter wet. The 'cobweb' catches and holds the rain so that rot is likely to set in.

This variety has rosettes of all basically the same size, as opposed to the "moms & babies" generally seen. After bloom the rosette dies and other smaller ones increase in size to fill up the space.

See the images I've uploaded for the bloom, decline and death of rosettes.