Growing Hens and Chicks In Kentucky Dennis Morgeson Agent for Horticulture Washington County
Genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae
Sempervivum
Common names include hens and chicks, houseleeks, live forever, and the taxonomical designation literally means “always/forever alive” Hens and chicks are succulent perennials forming mats composed of tufted leaves in rosettes
Native ranges include Morocco to Iran, through the mountains of Iberia, the Alps, Carpathians, Turkey, Armenia, Caucasus, and the Northeastern Sahara Desert. Generally found between 3000 and 8000 feet above sea level The thick fleshy leaves hold water allowing them to live on sunny rocks and stony places in the mountains, subalpine, and alpine belts. Most are hardy to US zone 4, and will handle warm climates up to about zone 8
Habitat
Its easy to see how sempervivum got the common name hens and chicks however….. Houseleeks is believed to stem from the traditional practice of growing plants on roofs of houses to ward off fire and lightning strikes in Europe…the plant is actually closely related to the true leek which belongs to the onion family The Welsh still old the folk belief that having sempervivum on the roof ensures prosperity of those that live there
Name Origin
Sempervivum historically has been used as a medicinal herb (although scientific evidence doesn’t prove it to be of any use medicinally)
Medicinal Use
Common herbal uses included stopping diarrhea by drinking the juice of the leaf or eating it directly The juice was also put on the skin like aloe Vera for burns, warts, and insect bites Romans used the juice on crops to ward off insects
There are approximately fifty species and over 6000 named cultivars of Sempervivum They vary in color, texture, and size
General Information
Colors include green, silver, deep maroon, brilliant red and many shades and combinations Some are smooth to the touch while others are velvety or even look as though they are covered in spider webs Sizes range from one quarter of an inch to thirteen inches in diameter
Easy to care for….actually thrive on neglect
If you take good care of them you most certainly will kill them If planting them in the ground choose the driest location with the worst soil…they will not tolerate heavily fertilized or high organic matter The prefer full sun, well drained soil, and very little water
Care
Hens and chicks are well suited for containers and rock gardens You can plant them in cracks in stone walls and pathways and rocky areas
Containers and Rock Gardens
The best containers are those that will dry out quickly such as hypertufa troughs, clay containers such as strawberry pots, and shallow bowls for succulents
They can also be used to plant living wreaths Best potting soil is one mixed for succulents specifically
If you want to mix your own you want free draining compost incorporated with 25 to 50 percent sharp sand and grit
Most hens and chicks can overwinter just fine in Kentucky providing that they don’t stay too wet…. The cold hardly ever kills them…those planted in containers can be moved under the porch or even into an unheated building as to limit the amount of moisture they receive
Hardiness
Most plants will bloom after two or three years and are monocarpic (die after flowering) The babies or offsets will quickly fill in the vacancy
Blooming
Most sempervivums propagate themselves by sending out offshoots which root and become independent of the parent plants as the stolon withers Once the offsets reach the size of a quarter they can be snipped from the parent plant leaving an inch or two of the stolon attached
Propagation
Push the stolon into the soil and leave the “chick” sitting on the soil surface
Seed propagation is also possible but more for the professional growers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA3LHYbDbq0
The best color is generally in the spring but with the new cultivars good color can be maintained during most of the year The main factors in color are light intensity, day length, soil fertility, pH, moisture, and temperature
Color
Cultivars
http://mountaincrestgardens.com/sempervivum-hens-and-chicks/