Scientific Name
Sempervivum 'Sanford's Hybrid'
Common Name(s)
Hen and Chicks, Houseleek, Live Forever
Synonym(s)
Sempervivum 'Sanford Hybrid'
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Parentage
This succulent is a hybrid created by Sandy McPherson in the United States in 1962. The parentage is unknown.
Description
Sempervivum 'Sanford's Hybrid' is a small succulent that forms large rosettes of bronze-purple, sharply pointed leaves with green and burgundy red hints. The color of the leaves varies throughout the year and from season to season. Rosettes grow up to 9 inches (22.5 cm) in diameter, producing numerous offsets on stolons.
Short spikes of pastel flowers appear in summer. The rosette dies after flowering.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 4a to 8a: from −30 °F (−34.4 °C) to 15 °F (−9.4 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Sempervivums are not difficult to grow, provided they are not waterlogged and killed from excess watering. They can be easily grown outdoors and in containers, and they earned the name "Houseleeks" from their tendency to root on the roofs of houses. After the mother plant flowers, it will naturally die, but the plant has likely produced many offsets that will continue to grow by this time. These are excellent for cold windows. Sempervivum earned their popular name "Hen and Chicks" from their growth habit. The mother plant, or hen, sends off numerous offsets clustered around her base like chicks. These offsets can be easily repotted, or the plants can be left to form a clumping mat.
Repot as needed, preferably during the warm season. To repot a succulent, make sure the soil is dry before repotting, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, making sure to remove any rotted or dead roots in the process. Treat any cuts with a fungicide. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill with potting soil, spreading the roots out as you repot. Leave the plant dry for a week or so, then begin to water lightly to reduce the risk of root rot.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Sempervivum.
Links
- Back to genus Sempervivum
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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