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Sempervivum |
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| | 'Royal Ruby' |
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| Common name |
hens and chicks; houseleek |
| Family |
crassulaceae |
| Life cycle |
perennial |
| Flowers |
purple (summer) |
| Size |
2" (to 6" in bloom) |
| Light |
sun |
| Cultural notes |
well-drained soil |
Succulent groundcover with summer flowers that rise from odd stalks. Rock garden mainstay. We've had one variety, with tightly cropped reddish small cabbages, for many years - it multiplies, but isn't aggressive. This year, we're trying two new varieties, both larger.
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| In winter, its foliage takes on a deep burgundy shade
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following areas: rock garden, sale plot About my plant portraits
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Nancy Pearson | May 20, 2005 | Why would every greenhouse in Utah not sell Hens and Chicks? I own every kind but I worry . Are they totally safe?
I'm not aware of any problems with them, Nancy |
| LauRA | Jun 05, 2005 | I have a large hens and chickens growing outside. This year, something sprouted out of it that does not look like the rest. I thought at first that it was a wild strawberry plant. But I don't think it is. Currently, it is aboun 2 ft tall, has now 1 yellow daisy-like bloom. the leave are a little hairy both sides and serrated all the way around the slight oval shapped leaves. any info you can give me on what it is is highly appreciated.
No idea, Laura. Sounds like some seed germinated right in the middle - could be rudbeckia, coreopsis, or any of many other daisy-family flowers. The name-that-plant forum at GardenWeb is usually very good at identifying unknown plants. |
| Angela Hasting | Jun 15, 2005 | I live in Oklahoma. Recently my grandmother gave me a starter from her hen&chickens. I took it home and planted it. It started growing straight up from the middle like a stalk. At the top of it lookes like a bunch of flowers or buds of some kind. My grandmother and mother said they had never seen one do this before. Is this normal. Also its starting to lean over what can I do to keep it from dyeing.
Angela, if your stalk looks anything like the one in the photo here, that's normal blooming behavior. They are hardy plants, tough to kill - if they start getting uprooted, just set them back in the soil and they'll be fine. |
| Leigh Ann | Jul 15, 2005 | I live in South Texas and have a lot of white tale deer in my yard. Would I be spending my money on their meals with these sempervivum? It is so hard to find plants that they won't eat.
According to this list of deer-resistant plants, spiny varieties are your best bet. |
| stephanie | Aug 05, 2005 | Why do the chicken and hens plants have the big ugly srout grow up form the middle? Is it spoze to do that? What does it mean?
That's just how they bloom. I guess the plant doesn't really care if we find it ugly or pretty :-) |
| Bobbijomorway | Aug 14, 2005 | I HAVE HENS AND CHICKENS PLANT HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU WATER THEM. AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY THEY CURL UNDER IS IT BECAUSE I TO MUCH WATER PLEASE LET ME KNOW
Don't water them. They really don't need it. I don't know if your specific problem is due to overwatering, but regular water is more likely to hurt than help. |
| Louise | Aug 24, 2005 | I also have those ugly stalks but I wonder if there is some way to propagate the plant with those stalks and their contents? Should I just let the stalks die a natural death? Does the death of the stalk have anything to do with the arrival of the chicks? |
| Liz Thompson | Sep 10, 2005 | I read that the hens and chickens that have the stalks/flowers are the male species of the plant. I've also read that it is normal for them to die off after flowering. |
| Pamela | Oct 10, 2005 | I have some lovely hens and chickens in a strawberry pot outside of my front door. How shall I winter these plants?
They are very hardy. Unless your climate is interior Northern Canada, they should overwinter just fine left outside in the pot. If you're afraid the pot might crack, you could place them in a temporary pot, or any other location that's reasonable well-drained, outside. |
| Renee | Dec 13, 2005 | You have beautiful semps. Wish they were mine ... Gosh, am I egostics, I have over 350 diffrenet ones ... Still looking for more. Did you know there are more than 4.000 cultivars?
That's funny - I don't even know where I got mine, probably a discount nursery. But yeah, I like 'm too :-) |
| Erin | Apr 18, 2006 | The squirrels are eating my sempervivum! Do you have any advice that might help stop them?
I'm afraid the only thing I can say is - please keep them out of my neighborhood... |
| davo | Jun 01, 2006 | I love my hen and chicks. Do any of yours suddenly turn to mush and just deteiorate? I do water them,I probably shouldn't. Thanks the nice webpage. davo |
| Alberta Evans -berta48@bellsouth,net | Jul 07, 2008 | I would like to see a rooter for the chicken & Hens,I have had people to tell me there is one . I have been growing chicken & hens for a while now, but yet I have not to see a rooter for them. I would like to see one so if I have one to grow in my chicken & hens.
Thank you
Alberta Evans |
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Last modified:
June 01, 2008
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