SKU: 28114851771
common houseleek succulent

common houseleek succulent Common Houseleek

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Description

common houseleek succulent Common HouseleekIntroducing the Sempervivum tectorum, also known as common houseleek, which is a popular mat forming variety of Hen and chicks Sempervivum genus. With its rosette shaped clusters of fleshy leaves and its ability to produce numerous offsets, the house leek plant embodies the classic hen and chick growth pattern. Native to the mountains of Southern Europe, the Sempervivum tectorum has several other names such as roof houseleek, St. Patrick cabbage,

Introducing the Sempervivum tectorum, also known as common houseleek, which is a popular mat-forming variety of Hen and chicks Sempervivum genus. With its rosette-shaped clusters of fleshy leaves and its ability to produce numerous offsets, the house leek plant embodies the classic hen and chick growth pattern.  

Native to the mountains of Southern Europe, the Sempervivum tectorum has several other names such as roof houseleek, St. Patrick cabbage, bullocks eye, Jupiter's beard, thunder plant, and live forever. These names highlight different aspects of the house leek plant, such as its ability to grow on rooftops (roof houseleek), its association with the Irish holiday (St. Patrick cabbage), or its resilience and longevity (live forever).  

Sempervivum tectorum is a succulent with thick, fleshy green leaves, variably tinged with red and purple tips.

It grows 4 inches in diameter and produces offsets attached to the mother rosette by horizontal stems.

The Sempervivum tectorum flowers produce tall, slender stalks topped with clusters of small, star-shaped blooms. In the summer, it produces red-purple flowers.

After flowering, the individual rosettes die, leaving the chicks to fill the space and spread, hence the common name of hens and chicks.

This Sempervivum tectorum plant is commonly used in rock gardens, as a border front, in rock crevices, along stone walls, as a small area of ground cover, and as an edging or foundation. It makes an excellent container plant and can be planted in rock walls for a balance of drainage, radiant heat, and root protection. When grouped together or massed, as in a small area ground cover, hens and chicks flourish. 

When and How to Water Your Common Houseleek 

When it comes to watering your Sempervivum tectorum, you don't want to overwater it and risk root rot, but you also don't want to let it completely dry out. The Sempervivum tectorum prefers watering once every 1-2 weeks in the growing season, and once every 4-6 weeks in the dormant season. 

In the spring and summer, during the growing season, you can water your sempervivum once every 1-2 weeks. Make sure to water this common houseleek plant thoroughly, allowing the water to soak into the soil. But here's the trick: before watering again, make sure the soil is dry about an inch deep. This will prevent overwatering.  

In the winter, when your Sempervivum tectorum plant goes into a dormant phase, you can reduce watering to once every 4-6 weeks. Remember, succulents like the common houseleek store water in their leaves, so they're pretty good at surviving dry periods. Just keep an eye on the soil moisture and adjust your watering schedule accordingly. 

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Sempervivum tectorum 

When grown indoors, it's important to provide your plant with bright, indirect light. Place your plants near a window that receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day. If you don't have a window with enough light, you can also use grow lights to supplement your houseleek plants light needs. Aim for about 6-8 hours of light per day for these lovely succulents. 

When grown outdoors, your Sempervivum tectorum hens and chicks love the full sun. These houseleek plants thrive in bright, direct sunlight. Find a spot in your garden or balcony where they can receive at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. 

Remember, it is a hardy succulent and can tolerate some shade, but it won't grow as compact and vibrant as it would in full sun. So, if you want them to look their best, give them plenty of sunshine. 

Whether you're growing them indoors or outdoors, just keep an eye on the leaves. If they start to stretch or become pale, it's a sign that they're not getting enough light. On the other hand, if the leaves turn brown or scorched, it might be a sign of too much direct sunlight. 

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The Hens and Chicks succulents prefer well-drained soils, and should be fertilized once a year in spring. A good option is sandy or gravelly soils, which you can find at your local garden center or make yourself by combining regular potting soil with sand or perlite. This mixture helps prevent water from pooling around the roots and causing rot. 

Ideally, you want to use our specialized succulent potting mix that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your common houseleek succulent to thrive. 

As for fertilizing, sempervivum tectorum doesn't require a lot of nutrients. You can fertilize them sparingly, about once a year, in the spring. A balanced (5-10-5), diluted succulent NPK fertilizer can be used. Just make sure to follow the instructions and avoid over-fertilizing, as it can lead to leggy growth and weak plants. 

Indoor Growing Hens and Chicks Requirements

When growing indoors, your Sempervivum tectorum is quite hardy and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but it thrives in temperatures between 60°F and 75°F during the day. At night, they can handle slightly cooler temperatures, around 45°F to 55°F. So, keeping them in a room with moderate temperatures should work well. Also, they prefer low humidity levels, similar to what you would find in a typical indoor environment. So, you don't need to worry too much about humidity levels when growing them indoors.

Hardiness Zone & More 

Sempervivum tectorum is a cold-hardy plant suitable for outdoor cultivation anywhere in the US, growing in hardiness zones 3-8. 

It can tolerate temperatures as low as -30°F in winter and as high as 90°F in summer, making it ideal for outdoor gardens and handling seasonal temperature fluctuations.  

They prefer lower humidity levels and can handle dry conditions.

 So, if you live in a region with higher humidity, make sure to provide them with well-draining soil and avoid overwatering to prevent any potential issues. 

Wildlife - Sempervivum tectorum Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

Sempervivum tectorum is not just a visual delight but also a magnet for pollinators. Its vibrant summer flowers, often in shades of pink, purple, or red, attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects. These pollinators play a vital role in maintaining the health of your garden by encouraging biodiversity and supporting the ecosystem.

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Sempervivum tectorum is considered non-toxic to humans, cats, dogs, and horses. This makes it an ideal plant choice for pet-friendly households where curious animals might nibble on foliage. Its non-toxic nature ensures that your furry friends remain safe while you enjoy the beauty and resilience of this hardy succulent.

How to Propagate Your Sempervivum tectorum

When it comes to propagation, sempervivum is a relatively easy plant to propagate. It can be grown from seeds, but the most common method is through offsets. These offsets, or chicks, can be carefully separated from the mother plant and planted in their own pots or directly in the garden. Over time with proper Sempervivum tectorum care, they will grow into mature plants, continuing the cycle of hens and chicks.

Key Takeaways

  1. Sempervivum tectorum is exceptionally drought-tolerant, making it an ideal choice for xeriscaping and low-maintenance gardens.
  2. They can withstand freezing temperatures, surviving in USDA zones 3-8, making them suitable for diverse climates.
  3. It is a mat-forming succulent that spreads out, making it an excellent choice for ground cover in gardens.
  4. Its rosette-shaped growth and ability to produce offsets, or “chicks,” make it a visually appealing and self-propagating succulent.
  5. The plant’s summer blooms attract bees and butterflies, or hummingbirds supporting pollinator populations and adding vibrancy to your garden.

The Bottom Line 

Overall, the Sempervivum tectorum is a popular and delightful hen and chick succulent plant that brings beauty and charm to any garden or container. With its unique growth habit of producing clusters of smaller offsets around the mother plant, it creates a lovely family of hens and chicks. The thick, fleshy leaves in various colors and the delicate star-shaped flowers add to its appeal. The house leek plants spread to about 4 inches. This very cold hardy and resilient plant can thrive in USDA zones 3-9 and is easy to propagate through offsets. Plus, it's generally non-toxic, making it a safe choice for households with pets or children. So, if you're looking for a low-maintenance and visually appealing plant, hens and chicks are a fantastic option to consider. 

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Travel in Comfort
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Soft luxury on a modest price
Color: 01 - White, Size: King
These sheets are truly luxurious. They are thin, but feel wonderful against your skin. The sheets are roomy enough to latch onto the corners without having to lift the mattress and stretch. The thread count provides incredible softness against your skin. The pillowcases are roomy enough for your pillow so that you do not have to feel like you’re stuffing sausages.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026
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Jennifer
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Honest Company making things right!
Color: 02 - Antique White, Size: California King, Color: 02 - Antique White, Size: California King
Love how this Californai sheet set feels and they fit very nicely on my bed. They are beautiful although I am unhappy with the 2 small holes I found in the fitted sheet after pulling them out of the packaging. I am past the return as I was not able to use them on my bed because I was moving and my bed was in storage. This is very disappointing for such a beautiful sheet set. UPDATE- I have reached out to the company and they were very kind and helpful. I stated the situation along with pictures and the order # and the company quickly responded with a new fitted sheet. Such a delight to find an honest company wanting to do the right thing. I Will order from this company again.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2026
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michele schmitz
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 3
Very thin. You get what you pay for.
Color: 01 - White, Size: Queen
You get what you pay for. I first noticed the softness which was great. The quality is very thin. They are cool which is great. I have not washed them yet. I would suggest washing them on cool and gentle by themselves. And because they are so thin I would fluff dry for an hour if you have that setting. The two things that damages clothes and sheets, etc. are if you have an agitator in your washer, those ruin clothes and the heat you choose for the fabric you’re drying I always wash my clothes on cold. I do not have an agitator anymore and on delicate and thin fabrics, I use fluff dry. It is cool, but it will dry, especially if it is thin and I’ve had to dry my fine delicates a little bit longer on fluff that way they don’t shrink because the shrinking comes in from the heat from the dryer so keep that in mind another good thing to remember if you got white sheets like I did is that when you use your detergent add a little bit of borax or laundry booster and they will help get them clean and sparkly white. I am on the fence about whether I would recommend this or not if you’re tight on money and you take good care of them I would recommend that you get them. I’m a linen freak and I buy mostly expensive sheets and I thought I would try this out so that’s where I’m at.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
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Jeff Gomske
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Astonishing, Fun, Entertaining, Fantastic
Format: Kindle
I consider The Martian my favorite fictional novel of the last 15-20 years. The movie was incredible in that they actually followed the book closer than 99% of other films based on books. It remains my favorite movie of the last 15 years or so as well. I don't know anyone (personally) that loves either of them as much as I do. With that said, I was REALLY looking forward to Artemis. It was good...but, it was certainly not in the same caliber as The Martian was (at least not for me). I enjoyed it a lot, however and appreciated how author Andy Weir chose to go in a completely different direction and not just rehash another similar story, which I am certain would have been great as well. As a result, I was cautious regarding Project Hail Mary. It sounded a little too close to The Martian, but yet, also different in that the circumstances simply could not be more opposite and the stakes so much higher. I'm trying to figure out the best way to summarize without giving too much away from this utterly compelling novel. As I read several reviews, I noticed a recurring theme: SCIENCE. Lots and LOTS of science. Holy cow, they were right. Many years ago I read Apollo 13 and Jim Lovell and his co-writer, try as they might, simply could not dumb down Orbital Mechanics anywhere near enough for me to have even a minor clue as to what they were attempting to say...I just skipped 90% of it and hoped that the sentences written afterwards, would help to make sense of what I had just skimmed over. I'm a lot of things, but a math wizard is definitely not one of them. Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) had an amazing talent for dumbing-down the science of what he was trying to explain in ways that genuinely made sense (most of the time). Not everyone has this talent, and I would say Andy Weir falls squarely in between. He's certainly better than Jim Lovell, but not quite as good as Crichton. But then again, outside of a science textbook, I haven't really read anything with quite as MUCH science as Project Hail Mary. So maybe he's just as good, but he just puts more science into his books than Crichton, maybe that's it...? Either way, be prepared for a lot of astonishingly interesting science within the pages of this novel...and I DO mean a LOT. I don't say this to make you wary or steer you away...on the contrary, Andy Weir has a special talent for making hard science truly entertaining. The book opens with an absolutely amazing and frightening premise: an astronaut awakes from an induced coma to find the only other two people on board have died at some point along their journey...but it gets worse. He has no idea who he is, or why he's on the ship, and oh yeah, they look to be a long way from home. A really, REALLY long way from home. In fact, the sun he sees isn't actually OUR sun at all. He's managed to leave our solar system entirely. And he has no idea why. ((Minor Spoilers)) The book goes through some clever flash-backs, which set the stage for why the mission happens, and slowly, carefully explains how they managed to get so far away from earth in such a short amount of time. Basically, earth's sun seems to be dying. At the rate of decay, we have maybe 19 years left before the gradual cooling has catastrophic consequences resulting in the death of billions (best guess). Why the sun is dimming is quite the conundrum in the first place. Turns out it really isn't dying, it's being killed by an outside source...which turns out to be easily the greatest find in history. It's alien life, and they are using the sun for food, essentially. It's alien life, but not intelligent life. But still, wow! ALIENS, right??? After this monumental discovery, and some tremendous research done by the most improbable scientist, the investigation into what is happening and why and what to do about it expands exponentially to other nations in order to pool all the resources possible to hopefully save the sun, and by extension, the human race as well. They learn. A LOT. A plan is put together, and with the help of the newly discovered microscopic alien life, which can also double as a power source (along with a few other nifty surprises), they begin to create one last, Hail Mary that could very well be the last chance we might have to save earth. It's audacious. It's dangerous, and it is absolutely critical that it succeed. As our astronaut's memory slowly unravels, so does his identity: Ryland Grace. He's a teacher on earth. Just a science teacher. Not even a college professor. He's amazingly smart, though. But he's no astronaut...and certainly not one who would volunteer to go on a one-way mission to another solar system to "try" and save humanity. Yet here he is. Alone. light years from earth, trying to solve the biggest riddle in all of human history. Ryland accepts his situation, such as it is, with relative indifference (for the most part). It doesn't matter HOW he got here. He's here now and he may as well use that time to be as productive as possible, right? Along the way, he unravels even more information regarding the microscopic alien life which is slowly dimming our sun during some additional flashbacks. The aliens, dubbed, "Astrophage" are quite the galactic plague as it turns out. Stars all over the galaxy are also losing their light, all due to the little buggers. All that is, except one particular star named, Tau Ceti. Now why would that one star be unaffected by Astrophage, when every single star around it has been affected to some degree. The plan is to go there and figure it out and send the information back, hopefully in time to save the sun before the damage to earth is beyond repair. There is an incredible amount of stuff going on. The story switches from Tau Ceti to flashbacks of how the whole mission was planned and implemented (which is VERY entertaining, especially Director Stratt, who may actually be my favorite character in the entire novel). Weir is becoming quite adept at building tension, and abruptly switching the story from Tau Ceti back to earth and building more of the backstory then switching back to Tau Ceti. Keeping it all in check and most importantly, interesting all while mixing in a healthy dose of science, which I am to understand is pretty much all genuine, is quite the juggling act. I have long known science can be astronomically entertaining (see what I did there?) when done right...but unfortunately very few people in a position to teach science actually know the best way to create that interest in others. I can say without reservation, Andy Weir definitely knows how to do it...at least in written form. There is so much I want to say more regarding this truly phenomenal story, but I simply cannot without ruining a lot of the fun and surprises revealed along the way...and it is killing me to keep it locked in. Though I labeled a spoiler warning earlier, I don't think it gave away any more than what the author himself has revealed in interviews he has done regarding the book, and what you can glean from reading the summary here and just a couple other reviews. Tying all of that science together is truly astonishing to me. The creativity to put it into a novel that is remarkably exciting to read is nothing more than incredible talent. Kudo's to Andy Weir for not just hitting a home run, Project Hail Mary is a Grand Slam all the way. I truly did not want this story to end. By the way, I enjoyed the ending quite a bit. I don't know if everyone will. But it was fine for me. I think the ending screams "sequel" at some point too. A lot was left open-ended (IMO) and I wouldn't mind reading a follow-up to this. It doesn't HAVE to happen, but there are a lot of ways where the story could go if Andy chose to do it. Just sayin'. Just run out and buy this book.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2021
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Mahlon Everhart
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Wonderful
Format: Kindle
The amount of detail in this book is so interesting and the specifics of so much theoretical ideas revolving around true ideas makes it so fun to read. The writer does a great job and describing every situation enough where you get the point but not too much to try to bore you . The book is very easy to follow, keeps you on your toes, was pretty funny to me, and truthfully just a great book for anyone!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026

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