Cold weather succulents are a must in Austen Texas.There are many benefits of growing cold weather tolerant succulents, both inside the home and outdoors. By now you know I’ve a real fascination with succulents. Above is the Sempervivum ‘Cebenese’ also know as Cobweb Hen and Chicks. It’s one of three knew plants I’ve added to my collection. When I chose them, I thought all three plants were Sempervivum. While writing this post I discovered that they were not.

Our daughter-in-law recently took this photo of their roof in Austin Texas. It was their fourth hard freeze of the season. This winter has been unusually cold for many parts of the country, and Austin was not an exception. Being a plant lover, I asked what had happened to their outdoor plants when the ice and snow hit Austin. Unfortunately most of the outdoor plants had died after the first freeze. I remember Hen and Chicks from my childhood in Canada, so I new some were cold tolerant, so I began looking to see which Succulents are able to survive cold icy winters. I found some wonderful information on two very helpful websites, and you may want to take a look.  Young’s Garden Center. and  Drought Smart Plants.
This is my Jovibarba, a relation to Sempervivum and also called hen and chicks, because it behaves much like Sempervivum, but is less tolerant of prolonged wet conditions and is more tolerant of extreme cold. It is a native of the Soviet Union. Interesting that the garden nursery had my Jovibarba labeled Sempervivum.

This third plant is a Sempervivum tectorum ‘Sunset’. Its primary color is green, but leaves can change color from red to green to orange. I’m looking forward to seeing the color change. All three of these plants are very cold tolerant, but can also make interesting indoor plants. They like bright light, so should be kept where they will receive lots of light. Inside they will not get as wide a range of colors, staying more green. I find their leaf shapes amazing and don’t mind not having as much color. If you move your plants outside, you will soon see a change in color. No wonder I am fascinated by succulents. I started out to search for cold tolerant succulents and ended up learning more than I ever imagined.