Description
Sempervivum – Hens and Chicks – Lliveforever – Houseleek –
There are 40 dense, mat forming, evergreen succulent perennial in the Crassulaceae family, in this genus. They are found naturally occurring in the mountains Europe and Western Asia. They bear monocarpic rosettes of thick, pointed leaves, often with bristle fringed edges, and covered with web of white hairs. Flat, branching terminal, panicle like cymes of hermaphrodite star shaped, white, yellow, red, or purple flowers are borne upright stems in summer. The rosettes die after flowering, but are replaced by new, offset rosettes, borne in lateral runners. Numerous cultivars are available.. Grow in a rock garden, scree bed, wall crevice, or trough.
Grow in poor to moderately fertile, sharply drained soil, with added grit, in full sun. Some, particularly softly hairy species, resent winter moisture.
Prone to Endophyllum rust.
S. ‘Commander Hay’ – This succulent, similar to S. tectorum, from the Untied Kingdom grows 4″ tall and 12″ wide. It produces rosettes, to 4″ across, of inversely lance shaped, glossy, deep red-purple and green leaves, to 1 ½” long, with mid green tips. In summer, bears cymes, up to 4″ across, of greenish red flowers.
Zones 7-10
