Scientific Name
Sempervivum heuffelii 'Purple Haze'
Common Name(s)
Job's Beard
Synonym(s)
Sempervivum' Purple Haze', Jovibarba heuffelii 'Purple Haze'
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Origin
Sempervivum heuffelii 'Purple Haze' is a cultivar of Sempervivum heuffelii.
Description
Sempervivum heuffelii 'Purple Haze', formerly known as Jovibarba heuffelii 'Purple Haze', is a small succulent that forms rosettes of colorful, rounded leaves with a pointed tip and white ciliate margins. The rosettes can reach a diameter of 6 inches (15 cm). The leaves vary in color depending on the season, ranging from grey to green with a dark purple hue. In cooler seasons, the leaves tend to deepen in color, while in warmer months, they lighten up.
The yellow flowers appear in dense clusters on an erect, leafy stalk that can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall. The rosette blooms only once and dies after flowering.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 8a to 11b: from 10 °F (−12.2 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °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 rosette 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, 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, ensure the soil is dry before repotting, 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 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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