Beautiful outdoor succulents known as Sempervivum (sem-per-VEE-vum) (Hens & Chicks, Semps, and Houseleeks) are admired for their endearing beauty and incredibly hardy nature. They have seasonal color flushes and resemble an unfurled rose. They may also develop dense mats to complement gardens and decorations. Sempervivum grow easily and will enhance any planting with striking colors, patterns, and textures regardless of droughts, extreme cold, or bad soil.
APPEARANCE
- Colors: Many Sempervivum can undergo major seasonal color changes; from one month to the next, you might not be able to tell them apart. They put on a spectacular display of hues including red, blue, purple, golden, and more, perhaps with two-tone shading or starkly contrasting leaf tips. NOTE: Sempervivum heuffelii is a good option if you want more constant color all year long.
- Form: Rosettes range in diameter from 0.25″ to 10.0″. The song “Hens & Chicks” makes reference to the way a mother rosette releases new offsets on stolons, creating dense colonies that can grow into a ground cover mat.
- Leaf types include glossy, velvety, webbed, and tufted leaves. Additionally, some cultivars have cilia that give them the appearance of fur.
- Flowers: Sempervivum are monocarpic; a rosette hen will send up a bloom stalk and open delicate, star-shaped flowers in pink, crimson, or yellow after a number of years (usually 2–5). Blooms can be over 2.0′ tall and last between two and four weeks. A hen’s life ends during this process, but the chicks nearby will live and develop into the abandoned space. Understanding Sempervivum Flowers
CARE
- Light: Sempervivum does best in most regions with morning light and afternoon shade. They thrive in a variety of lighting situations, although extra shade at temps above 85°F will help them look their best. These hardy plants can withstand extreme heat or full sun, but ideally not both at once. Sunburn that is lush
- Sempervivum prefer a lean, grippy soil like cactus/succulent potting mix or sandy loam because they originate from alpine settings. Although fertilizer is not required, springtime use of a slow-release, low-nitrogen (5-10-10) fertilizer will promote quicker development.
- Water: Sempervivum grow best with deep, infrequent waterings that allow the soil to completely dry in between applications. Location-specific recommendations for frequency range from 2-3 times per week to 1-2 times per month for established plants throughout the growing season, 1-2 times per month in the winter, and no watering if the temperature is below freezing. We advise utilizing containers with drainage holes for planting in containers. Watering Succulents
- Hardiness: Semps are cold hardy down to -20F, making them perfect for succulent enthusiasts in most areas (zone 5). They are most protected from the elements when covered in snow, but in places without snow, using transparent covers and bringing containers under cover will help prevent decomposition. Care for Winter Succulents
- Sempervivum don’t need much upkeep in terms of propagation, but a gardener wishing to transplant and multiply their colonies can easily dig up rosettes or cut new offsets from stolons and place them in partial sun with well-draining soil to re-establish.
NOTES FROM THE NURSERY
I adore Sempervivum. After all, it was succulents that gave us our start more than 20 years ago, and they are still among our most well-liked plants today. We’ve been lucky with these “hens and chicks” throughout the years, so we know you’ll be too!
Growing them may be an enjoyable, low-effort activity if you choose a location with adequate light and appropriate drainage. They are tolerant growers and will frequently resuscitate even if something goes wrong (here’s how). They acquired the Latin name Sempervivum, which means “always living,” as a result.
Chicks and hens are they succulent?
Sempervivum tectorum, a succulent plant, is indigenous to Europe and Africa. These plants, sometimes known as houseleeks, have rosette-like leaves in concentric rings that resemble artichokes. Plants called “hens and chicks” come in green, red, blue, purple, and copper hues.
The hens and chicks plant is so named because it reproduces by sending off offsets (chicks) that encircle the mother plant (hen). Hens and chicks are excellent groundcover plants since they are low-growing perennials that keep close to the ground while self-replicating.
Sempervivums are they indoor plants?
Both indoors and outdoors can be used to grow hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum or S. arachnoideum). They make excellent container plants, in fact. Why not have some both inside and outside then? You should cultivate some of these entertaining plants indoors in colder climates so you can enjoy them all winter long. Succulents in containers can be moved about for the best light exposure or temperature in the winter and taken outside for some summer sun. These are entertaining indoor plants that require little care and can thrive when ignored. Here are some advice on how to handle hens and chicks raised inside.
How is a Sempervivum plant cared for?
In order to grow resilient succulents, the soil must be regularly allowed to dry out in addition to being watered. Based on geography and cultivar, water requirements will always vary, but it is far simpler to resuscitate succulents that are being under-watered than it is to save ones that are starting to rot. If you keep in mind the following guidelines, hardy succulents are fortunately fairly forgiving plants:
- Use containers with drainage holes and plant in sandy, well-draining soil.
- Before watering, wait until the soil is completely dry.
- Make extra effort to water deeply and infrequently.
- Regularly check the soil and plants for symptoms of over- or under-watering, and make adjustments as necessary.
How much do I need to water?
It depends, but aiming to mimic their natural habitat is the aim of the game. As alpine inhabitants, hardy succulents thrive in environments that closely resemble those of their native mountains. Hardy succulents require roughly 0.5″ to 1.0″ of water (including precipitation) once a week to look their best during the hottest, driest parts of their summer growing season, just as they do while growing in the wild where they receive regular rainfall. The optimal times to water are early in the day or late at night to minimize water loss through evaporation and avoid having water beads reflect the midday sun and burn the leaves. Hardy succulents can also withstand intense heat and sunlight thanks to this.
Does it matter what they’re planted in?
Mountaintop Sempervivum and Sedum can withstand strong gusts and quickly drying rocky soil. And they really enjoy it this way! As they expand deeply in search of water, succulents have the opportunity to create vast, strong root systems throughout drought cycles. To keep air pockets around the roots of your succulents, use a raised bed with grittier, well-draining soil. A drainage hole and materials like terracotta and hyper-tufa will hasten the drying of your soil for container plants. With the best of intentions, gardeners who maintain their soil consistently moist risk having decaying leaves and inadequate root growth. To keep leaves drier, use a top dressing or mulch 3/16″ grit gravel. Succulents in thick soil or low-lying beds that receive too much water will display distress symptoms like mushy, transparent leaves. Avoid overwatering at all costs because it is impossible to revive succulents after the roots have perished.
Is it possible to water too little?
Sedum and Sempervivum mature plants can be rejuvenated. Give your succulents a few weeks to adapt before gradually increasing the depth and frequency of your waterings if you notice overdrying symptoms like crispy, wrinkled, or bendable leaves. For both creeping ground cover and tall border varieties of Sedum, you can water up to twice a week to aid in the establishment of roots in new plants and promote quicker growth.
Do I need to water in winter?
less than that. Hardy adult succulents that have been planted in the ground may typically survive the winter without further water from you. Climate, succulent age, soil type, and planting location all affect how much water they need over the winter. Young hardy succulents or plants in containers, for instance, may require a small amount of hydration to survive the winter.
Snow-covered Sempervivum and Sedum enjoy their wintertime together. The snow keeps the dormant plants from decaying in standing water because they no longer require as much moisture to flourish. Clear rain covers placed over plants in the ground are a useful solution for gardeners in areas with cold, rainy winters but little snow to stop decay. To allow sufficient airflow to keep the plants dry, keep the cover at least a foot above them. This is crucial for the webbed, tufted, and velvety kinds in particular because they have a propensity to retain water on their leaves. Move hardy Sedum and Sempervivum plants in containers to a protected area to reduce exposure. Check out our comprehensive guide on Succulents in Winter for more details.
Sedum and Sempervivum. But don’t worry; now that you understand how wild succulents develop and have a general understanding of the signs of inappropriate watering, you’re prepared to handle any watering problems!
How come my Sempervivum is getting so tall?
Sempervivums stretch when little sunlight reaches them, which ironically causes the plant to grow more quickly. The succulent starts to slant toward the source of light, which is the first thing you notice. When it reaches a greater height and has more room between the leaves, it will then continue to grow by stretching. The absence of chlorophyll will also cause the leaves to shrink and lighten in color.
The plant first appears healthy and will carry on growing. However, if this condition persists for a long period, its health may deteriorate and, if a cure is not provided, it could pass away in a few months.
What size may Sempervivums reach?
These quickly expanding plants don’t get very big because they are primarily used as groundcovers (or roof covers).
Within a few months, they develop from tiny, dime-sized plantlets (Sempervivum arenaria) to fully developed plants (Sempervivum magnificum), ranging in size from one inch to eight inches wide and as tall (depending on the variety).
Do Sempervivums require direct sunlight?
A collector’s dream are plants that require a lot of care to thrive, like orchids, but maintaining them requires a lot of time and effort due to their fussiness and unique requirements. Sempervivum provides distinctive form and beauty without requiring any work for us lazily inclined gardeners. Consider cultivating these succulent plants on a vertical wall, a rockery, or even on driftwood. The sole requirements for sempervivum growth are adequate drainage and sunlight.
You claim that your garden has a hot, dry area with rocky or grippy soil that is low in fertility. What should you sow? This sounds like ideal growing conditions for sempervivum. These adorable little alpine succulents not only endure in conditions that would kill most other plants, but they also grow and bloom readily.
Rosettes from Sempervivum come in a variety of colors. They are low-growing and tolerant of most soil types, but they like full sun and a soil that drains well. Pink, red, or occasionally yellow blooms in the shape of stars are produced by several of the types. The sharp leaves have green, crimson, purple, or even gossamer-fine hairs encircling them. These plants are exceptional in a wide range of circumstances due to their extreme diversity in form, size, and color.
Sempervivum, will it endure the winter?
Sempervivums, which mean “always alive” in Latin, are tough. The majority of the wild species are located in Europe on mountains like the Alps, where they can withstand harsh, snowy winters and dry, summers.
Sempervivums don’t enjoy getting waterlogged, if there is a weakness. Planting them in a compost that is made from dirt and has good drainage will quickly stop this. We advise John Innes No. 3, which is sold at any garden center or hardware shop. Mix this in a ratio of three parts John Innes to one part horticultural grit (also widely accessible as above). In addition to producing an appealing finish, a liberal top dressing of grit will also aid in the fight against excessive moisture. Drainage holes in the base are required on all containers.
Plants called sempervivums are adaptable. They can be kept in containers like pots, bowls, and troughs as well as outdoors in places like rock gardens. They are outdoor plants that belong to the family of alpines, sometimes known as rock plants, and they like a bright location, ideally receiving as much sun as possible, if not all day. Once they have established, additional watering is typically not needed because they can withstand below-freezing temperatures in the winter and adequate natural rainfall in the spring and summer.
Sempervivums only require a small amount of plant food, so be careful not to overfeed. There will initially be enough in the soil. After that, a small liquid feed (ideally with an NPK ratio of 7:7:7 or equivalent) given once a year in April or early May can maintain your plants looking their best and growing well. Sempervivums can vary greatly when cultivated in various environments, in addition to any seasonal changes in appearance. Generally speaking, don’t harm them because they are hardy alpine plants.
Sempervivums that are mature may bloom in the summer. After then, the flowering rosette will perish and be succeeded by the offsets in its immediate surroundings. Beautiful clusters quickly form. Bees and other pollinators adore the blooms and take great pride in them. In order to keep the greatest appearance, it is a good idea to remove dead flower stalks. Every few years, if and when necessary, it is simple to replace old clumps by replanting offsets after removing them.
It’s acceptable to grow sempervivums in containers. Better would be to give them even more room in a bowl or trough. These look fantastic as a focal point on the patio, near the front or back door, along the driveway or garden walk, or at the entrance to a greenhouse. Combining various types will bring forth the unique charm of each plant. They also constantly serve as a focus point in the garden due to the seasonal changes in color that encourage their continued attraction and interest. Up to a few thousand different types can be found in some hobbyists’ collections.
Here is a quick video showing how to plant sempervivums in a trough and what kind of soil to use:
How often should sempervivums be watered?
Typically, watering your Sempervivum should only be done when the potting mix is fully dry. You can water your plant as long as the top inch of soil feels dry, even if the soil is still somewhat damp at a deeper level.
It’s important to remember that the soil dries out at various speeds depending on the season. The frequency of watering is also influenced by the type of soil being used, drainage holes, and other factors.
If your succulent is grown in sandy soil, you should think about watering it twice per week, and if it is in clay soil, you should think about watering it once per week. However, as the plant goes into dormancy and no development occurs throughout the winter, no irrigation is required.
If your plant grows in sandy soil, simply water once a week in the spring and fall. Otherwise, neither of these two seasons need any watering.
Your succulent’s topsoil could dry out in a day during the summer. It does not imply that you must water it every day. The plant will have absorbed enough moisture in this situation to withstand the heat for three to four days.
In addition, the soil at the bottom of the growing container will still have adequate moisture to support the survival of your plant. Remember that if you overwater your plant, root rot problems could cause you to lose it quickly.
The season of the year when Sempervivum grows most actively is spring. As a result, it requires a lot of water at this time. It only has to be watered a minimum of once every week to be healthy.
When the sun is strong and there is no rain at the end of spring, you might think about increasing the frequency of watering. Your plant will remain active and healthy as a result.