Scientific Name
Sempervivum ×barbulatum 'Hookeri'
Synonym(s)
Sempervivum barbulatum 'Hookeri'
Common Name(s)
Hen and Chicks, Houseleek
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Etymology
The cultivar epithet 'Hookeri' (pronounced "HOOK-er-ee") most likely honors Sir William Jackson Hooker🡕 (1785-1865), an English botanist and botanical illustrator who was the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew🡕, or his son Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker🡕, a famous botanist and explorer, and also a director of Kew.
Origin
Sempervivum ×barbulatum 'Hookeri' is a cultivar of Sempervivum ×barbulatum.
Description
Sempervivum ×barbulatum 'Hookeri' is a small succulent plant that forms compact miniature rosettes of pale green leaves. It resembles Sempervivum arachnoideum but has greener, flatter, and slightly more elongated leaves. The rosettes can grow up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) in diameter and produce tiny offsets, all nicely cob-webbed, forming a dense mat or cushion over time. The outer leaves turn red in summer.
In summer, the mature rosettes produce an erect stalk clothed with rather larger, similar leaves, bearing cymes of purplish-rose, many-stellate flowers. The flower stalk can grow up to 2 inches (5 cm) tall.
How to Grow and Care for Sempervivum ×barbulatum 'Hookeri'
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zone 4a to 9b: from -30°F (-34.4°C) to 25°F (-3.9°C).
Sempervivums are not difficult to grow, provided they are not waterlogged and killed by 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 it has likely produced many offsets that will continue to grow by then. These are excellent for cold windows. Sempervivum earned its 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, ensure the soil is dry, then gently remove the pot. Knock away the old soil from the roots, removing any rotted or dead roots. Treat any cuts with a fungicide. Place the plant in its new pot and backfill it 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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