Scientific Name
Sempervivum 'Oddity'
Common Name(s)
Oddity Hens and Chicks, Hens and Chicks, Oddity Houseleek, Houseleek, Trumpeter
Synonym(s)
Sempervivum tectorum 'Oddity'
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sedoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Subtribe: Sedinae
Genus: Sempervivum
Description
Sempervivum 'Oddity', also known as Sempervivum tectorum 'Oddity', is an unusual succulent that creates a mat of small rosettes of blue-green leaves with a purple tip. The rosettes grow up to 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. The leaves are recurved to form hollow pointed pipes.
The flowers are star-shaped, reddish-purple, and appear in flat cymes on the terminal ends of hairy upright stems. The rosettes die after flowering but are replaced by new rosettes on lateral stolons. This succulent is a shy flowerer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 4a to 10b: from −30 °F (−34.4 °C) to 40 °F (+4.4 °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, 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.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Sempervivum.
Origin
Sempervivum 'Oddity' is a hybrid introduced by American succulent plant enthusiast Sandy McPherson in 1977. It is supposedly a mutation of Sempervivum ×comollii, a naturally occurring hybrid between Sempervivum tectorum and Sempervivum wulfenii. Sometimes, it is also considered a mutation of Sempervivum ×albidum (synonym of Sempervivum ×comollii). This hybrid earned the Sempervivum Society's Award of Merit and Bronze Rosette in 1978.
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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