A European alpine succulent forming a mother rosette surrounded by clusters of small offsets, a classic hardy plant for rock gardens and green roofs.
Description
The hen is the central rosette and the chicks are small offsets formed on short stolons around it. Leaves are fleshy, often tipped red, and stiff. Flowering rosettes die after blooming.
Cultivation
One of the hardiest succulents, tolerating both severe cold and dry summers, hens and chicks grow on roofs and stone walls without soil. They prefer full sun and sharp drainage.
Uses
Long planted on European roofs to protect thatch from lightning according to folk belief, sempervivum is widely used in modern green roofs, rock gardens, and pebble mosaic plantings.