Sempervivum Succulents: How to Grow Sempervivum

Sempervivum tectorum plants are evergreen succulent plants that grow swirls of bright green, red-rimmed, spiky leaves in a rosette formation. Sempervivum, also known as hens-and-chicks plants, produce baby plants off of the mother host called offsets that can be used to propagate new plants. These low-maintenance, drought-tolerant garden plants grow well in rocky and dry areas where other cacti thrive, making them an excellent choice as ground cover for rock gardens and xeriscaping.

Sempervivum is a drought-resistant, cold-hardy plant that thrives in a number of conditions. Varieties of this plant grow well in USDA hardiness zones three to eight, and they prefer cool to moderate climates. Here are some of the most popular varieties and cultivars of sempervivum plants.

1. 1. Sempervivum Engle’s: Sempervivum Engle’s grows teardrop-shaped succulent leaves with a downy texture and faint green color that fades into a dark mauve color at their tips.
2. 2. Sempervivum pippin: This variety grows in a rosette shape with tightly clustered, mossy green leaves with pointed, dark purple tips.
3. 3. Sempervivum purple dazzler: Purple dazzler has long leaves that are deep purple towards the center of the rosette and fade to light green at the leaves’ long tips.
4. 4. Sempervivum arachnoideum (cobweb houseleek): This variety has leaves that grow with fine white threads on top.
5. 5. Sempervivum oddity: The leaves of this variety grow in a tubular shape in a deep green color with dark purple tips. Oddity plants are also sometimes known as “trumpeter” plants due to their shape.

If you already have a sempervivum plant, you can propagate new specimens from the offsets or “chicks” of a mother plant. You can also buy sempervivum seeds from your local garden center and germinate them in a container and replant in your garden. Follow these simple steps for growing sempervivum from seed.

1. 1. Prepare your soil. Fill a seedling container with a well-draining, neutral potting mix. Sandy soil is ideal for sempervivum. Moisten the soil right before you plant your seeds.
2. 2. Germinate your seeds. Plant your sempervivum seeds in your prepared seedling container. Push the seeds just below the surface of the moist potting mix and leave in a place that gets full sun.
3. 3. Transfer your plant. After four or five weeks, small rosettes should form where you have planted your seeds. You can now transfer your sempervivum plant into your garden.

Sempervivum plants are very low-maintenance, but here are some tips you can follow to make sure your sempervivum is thriving.

1. 1. Use well-draining soil. Sempervivum doesn’t need regular waterings, even during the germination process. However, you want to make sure that you’re using well-draining soil to avoid root rot.
2. 2. Place them in full sun. This plant prefers full sun but can also survive in partial shade, as long as you give it access to light for a part of the day.
3. 3. Prune the offsets if necessary. If your plant grows too many offsets, they may crowd your parent plant and cause them to grow more vertically. Separate the individual rosettes and propagate the offsets into their own plants to give your plants space to grow.

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