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Image of butterfly attractor, Sempervivum tectorum or
Common Houseleek
or
Hen-and-Chickens
or
Old Man and Woman
or
Roof House Leek with a baby "chick" by its side
Red Hen-and-Chickens |
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Sempervivum tectorum
(Common Houseleek, Hen-and-Chickens, Old Man and Woman, Roof
House Leek) |
Family: Asteraceae
Origin: Nambia, southern Africa
Light: Full sun
Height: <6"
Spacing: Up to 1'
Blooms: 12-petaled, reddish or pink with green center, in Summer
Foliage: Cylindrical-shaped, thick, fleshy, fringed with rings of
hairs, rosette, stalkless, smooth
Soil: Well-drained, cactus potting soil mixed with little humus,
poor, sandy, rocky, drought
tolerant
Water: Only when dry. Reduce watering in Winter
Fertilizer Liquid fertilizer especially during blooming season
Propagation: Offset divisions, leaf cuttings
Uses: Rock garden, xeriscaping
Comments:
Sempervivum tectorum or
Common Houseleek
or
Hen-and-Chickens
or
Old Man and Woman
or
Roof House Leek is a biennial or perennial succulent plant with
an erect growth habit. At about 3 years of age, it bears lovely
reddish or pink flowers from June to August; these blossoms rise above a rossette of succulent leaves;
Sempervivum tectorum
blossoms are nectar-rich and are attractive to the bees, moths
and butterflies.
It produces a lot of offsets called "chickens". These "chickens" can be easily removed
from the "mother hen" and propagated in well-drained soil mixed with humus.
It is a thrill to watch the baby chicks grow.
SempervivumTectorum can also be propagated from
leaf cuttings.
Common Houseleek is sun-loving and tolerates drought well.
It is an ideal plant for the rock garden and for xeriscaping.
Hen-and-Chickens is carefree and low maintenance. It is
popularly used by the Italians as a love charm. Old Man and Woman
has astringent properties and has been used as an ointment in treating
burns and scalds. In Europe, Roof House Leek are commonly found
growing on roofs. There are many other cultivars of
Sempervivum tectorum. Interestingly, the word Sempervivum is Latin
for 'always alive'.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-11 |
