It’s a winner, literally. The Royal Horticultural Society announced this morning, Tuesday 24th May 2022 that x Semponium ‘Destiny’ is winner of plant of the year. × Semponium 'Destiny' is an intergeneric hybrid, the world's first cross between aeonium and sempervivum. This succulent is drought tolerant, hardier than aeonium, and can grow to a full-sized specimen in just three years. The deep red leaves hold their colour year-round and have a veiny appearance. It makes the perfect pot plant for a patio, courtyard or rock garden. Below is my own small plant from the Malvern flower show just a few weeks ago, and it is growing fast and colouring up nicely.
It is a bitter-sweet result as Surreal were runners-up last year with x Semponium 'Sienna' named after Dan's partner's daughter 'Sienna'
These plants are very stable and show great promise, I also grow some recent variegated Aeonium introductions from China, I am hearting reports that some and I stress some are proving not to be very stable and are showing mutations. However, my small but growing collection of them remain very stable and two are shown alongside x Semponium 'Destiny'
Lower right is Aeonium 'Pink Witch', above top left is A. variegated 'Halloween' and top right is A. 'Verna'
© Howard Drury 24.05.2022
