Data specific to Sempervivum (Edit)
Size: Large - 4" to 9"
Soil type: Dry
Well draining
Loamy / Medium
Sandy / light
Foliage: Smooth
Red: Feb. into May.
Green: Green with red tips in the fall.
Terracotta: With deep red tips in June and July.
Watermarks: Through most of the year.
Water: Very low
Average
Does not like wet feet
Uses: Accent
Containers

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Dry Mesic
Dry
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Time: Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Other: It may be several years before it blooms
Uses: Provides winter interest
Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Provide light
Stratify seeds: Stratifying seeds may improve germination, but is not required
Suitable for wintersowing
Sow in situ
Will not come true from seed
Propagation: Other methods: Offsets
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Monocarpic

Image
Common names
  • Hen and Chicks
  • Houseleek
  • Live-Forever
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Sempervivum tectorum
  • Synonym: Sempervivum robustum
  • Synonym: Sempervivum mettenianum
  • Synonym: Sempervivum tectorum subs. decoloratum

Photo Gallery
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-10-16
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 1/26/20
Wedding guest favors. from my garden
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2018-09-02

Date: 2022-07-14
Location: Sunken Garden, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, United States
Date: 2021-08-22
Location: Mt. Fuji, Japan
Date: 2019
Translated to  "Robustum" = Tectoru,
Location: Monção, Portugal
Date: 2023-06-07
Location: Botanical garden of Barcelona (Spain)
Date: 2022-04-16

Date: 2013-07-02
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 4/30/19
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2022-05-09

Date: 2020-04-26

Date: 2020-04-06
Spring collor

Date: 2020-10-02
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-04-09
Sempervivum tectorum 'Mettenianum'
Location: Botanical garden of Barcelona (Spain)
Date: 2022-04-16
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (Belgium)
Location: Thomson,Ga.
Date: 2014-04-06
picture taken April 4 2014,zone 8
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 1/26/20
Wedding guest favors. from my garden
Location: Hortus Botanicus Akureyensis - Akureya - Iceland
Location: No. CA zone 9b
Date: 2014-10-01
Separated offsets from mother plant.

Date: 2022-06-28
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Date: 2017-10-09
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (Belgium)
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 4/30/19
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 4/30/19

Date: 2020-07-20

Date: 2020-10-17
Little grass snake.
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
These have been in our family for at least 5 generations!

Date: 2020-10-02
Location: Botanical Garden Meise (near Brussels - Belgium)
Date: 2023-05-15
Location: Missouri Botanical Garden in St Louis
Date: 2023-08-14
A plant showing fasciation
Location: Botanischer Garten der Universitaet Oldenburg
Date: 2016-10-09
Location: Willamette Valley Oregon
Date: 2014-04-07

Photo courtesy of: srboisvert

Date: 2014-02-28
Photo courtesy of: Sinkha63

Date: 2014-02-28
Photo courtesy of: Sinkha63
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 4/30/19
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 4/30/19
Photo by hlutzow
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-06-03
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-06-22
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: Nov 6, 2010
New from Perennial Obsession
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-09-14
Location: Hortus Botanicus Akureyensis - Akureya - Iceland
Location: Hortus Botanicus Akureyensis - Akureya - Iceland
Date: 2019-07-29
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: Jul 16, 2011
From Perennial Obsession
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-06-25

Date: 2020-04-14
Root/stem

Date: 2020-04-14
Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: Mar 16, 2012
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2013-04-30

Credit florum
Location: z5a, Smith College Botanical Garden
Date: 2012-04-21

Credit florum

Credit florum
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: May 7, 2011
From Perennial Obsession
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: Jun 6, 2011
From Perennial Obsession

Date: 2014-02-28
Photo courtesy of: Sinkha63
Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: Feb 17, 2009
Photo courtesy of Cynda Foster, Perennial Obsessions
Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: Nov 11, 2009
Photo courtesy of Cynda Foster, Perennial Obsessions
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: Oct 2, 2011
Location: Botanischer Garten Berlin
Date: 2023-05-11
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2022-05-09
Location: Tennessee
Date: 2014-04-23
Location: DISCLAIMER: This is an old photo from an old phone. I don't know why, but the photos look "deep fried". sorry about that.
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: Jun 29, 2011
From Perennial Obsession
Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: Jun 13, 2012
Location: Pacific Northwest, zone 8
Date: 20Apr 16, 2009
Photo courtesy of Cynda Foster, Perennial Obsessions
Location: Pacific Northwest zone 8
Date: May 24, 2011
From Perennial Obsession

Photo Courtesy of Mountain Crest Gardens. Used with permission.
  • Uploaded by Joy
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by cwhitt (Central Ohio 43016 - Zone 6a) on Feb 21, 2018 2:58 PM concerning plant:
    I am fond of Sempervivum Tectorum because it has actually been in my family for 100 years! It was only here at garden.org that I found out it was a "Semp" - we always just called them Hens & Chicks. Until recently, I thought there was only one variety of Semps, but the Semp forum here is extremely active and I found there are many, many varieties of Semps. Some of them are mostly red, and some of them are rather fuzzy. I don't think all of those may be as hardy as this one though - this one is very hardy (at least a hundred years hardy!). I live in Ohio (zone 6) and my semps do very well here - both in summer and winter. Each 'hen" sends out smaller ones, called "chicks." They grow in a big mass and make a good ground cover for sunny areas. I also use them for erosion control and they are great for that. They are trouble free, require minimal water, and weeds or grass will not grow through them at all. When I transplant them to different areas, I just pull them up, lay them down where I want them, and sprinkle a little dirt over the root. They look great all lined up along a walkway and will keep soil from washing onto the sidewalk. On occasion, they will bloom - sending up a tall stalk with pink flowers on them. Blooming signals their death though, which is not usually a problem because they usually produce several chicks first. And if you are interested in crossing Semps to breed new varieties, you need them to bloom to do that. The Semp forum is great here, and can help you with that, or give you more information.
  • Posted by valleylynn (Oregon City, OR - Zone 8b) on Mar 16, 2012 11:09 PM concerning plant:
    I love this smaller tectorum. It has such a lovely range of colors though out the year. This is a very sturdy semp that nothing seems to bother, not even our long rainy season.
Plant Events from our members
AndreA33 On April 10, 2014 Obtained plant
From BG
hlutzow On May 3, 2020 Obtained plant
ethompson92 On April 6, 2020 Obtained plant
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