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Sempervivum
Also called Hen And Chickens, House Leeks, Houseleeks
Houseleeks are a genus of about 40 succulent perennials that form rosette mats and spread quickly by offsets, grown mainly as groundcover in dry, sunny spots. Give them sharp drainage and full sun.
Sempervivum () is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, commonly known as houseleeks. Other common names include liveforever (the source of the taxonomical designation Sempervivum, literally "always/forever alive") and hen and chicks, a name shared with plants of other genera as well. They are succulent perennials forming mats composed of tufted leaves in rosettes. In favourable conditions they spread rapidly via offsets, and several species are valued in cultivation as groundcover for dry, sunny locations.
Houseleeks exist from Morocco to Iran, through the mountains of Iberia, the Alps, Carpathians, Balkan mountains, Turkey, the Armenian mountains, in the northeastern part of the Sahara Desert, and the Caucasus. Their ability to store water in their thick leaves allows them to live on sunny rocks and stony places in the mountain, subalpine and alpine belts. Most are hardy to US zone 4, and will handle warm climates to about zone 9.
Hen and chickens · Houseleek · Cobweb House Leek · Limestone Houseleek · Teneriffe Houseleek · Jovibarba globifera · Sempervivum pittonii · Common houseleek
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sempervivum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
