Jovibarba globifera - Rolling Hen and Chicks

Scientific Name

Jovibarba globifera (L.) J. Parnell

Common Names

Rolling Hen and Chicks

Synonyms

Sempervivum globiferum, Jovibarba globifera subsp. globifera , Sempervivum globiferum subsp. globiferum, Jovibarba sobolifera

Scientific Classification

Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Jovibarba

Description

Jovibarba globifera is a perennial herb with a hemispherical rosette of leaves up to 1.6 inches (4 cm) wide and a flower stem up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. Rosette leaf blades are spatulate, curved, fleshy, with entire margin, usually with reddish-brown tips, while stem leaf blades are ovate. Flowers are pale-greenish-yellow or yellow with six petals, up to 0.4 inch (1 cm) wide. They bloom from June to August. It produce small, globe-shaped offsets (“globi”) that are lightly attached and easily pop off and roll away from the mother plant. Offsets survive the main rosette, which is monocarpic.

Photo via molbiol.ru

How to Grow and Care

Sempervivum 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 by this time, the plant has likely produced many offsets that will continue to grow. 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, which will cluster 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.