Sempervivum arachnoideum, the cobweb house-leek, is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae, native to European mountains, in the Alps, Apennines and Carpathians. Growing to 8cm (03inches) tall by 30cm (10inches) wide, it is a rosette-forming succulent perennial, valued in cultivation for its ability to colonise hot, dry areas via offsets.[1]
The specific epithet arachnoideum refers to its furry central rosettes (long ciliate leaf margins), resembling spider webs.[2]
It flowers in July, with pink flowers that are raised on stems and are hermaphroditic (having both male and female organs).
This plant,[3] and the subspecies Sempervivum arachnoideum subsp. tomentosum,[4] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5]