Changes

|familia=Crassulaceae

|familia=Crassulaceae

|genus=Sempervivum

|genus=Sempervivum

|common_name=Hens and chickens, Houseleek

|common_name=Houseleek, Hens and chickens

|lifespan=perennial

|lifespan=perennial

|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia

|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia

|Temp Metric=°F

|Temp Metric=°F

|image=Sempervivum tectorum.JPG

|image=Upload.png

|image_width=240

|image_width=240

}}

}}

__NOTOC__{{Plantbox

'''Houseleeks''' or '''Liveforever''' (''Sempervivum,'' {{pron-en|sɛmpəˈvaɪvəm}})<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary,'' 2nd Edition 1989</ref> are a [[genus]] of about 40 [[species]] of [[succulent]] plants of the [[Crassulaceae]] family which grow in [[Rosette (botany)|rosettes]]. Another name used for some species (and also for some plants in other related genera) is [[Hen and chicks]].

| name = ''Sempervivum''

 

They occur in N Africa and S Europe to Iran. Their ability to store water in their thick leaves allows them to live on sunny rocks and stony places in the montane, subalpine and alpine belts.

 

| high = ?  <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->

Houseleeks grow as tufts of [[Perennial plant|perennial]] but [[monocarpic]] [[Rosette (botany)|rosettes]]. Each rosette propagates [[Asexual reproduction|Asexually]] by lateral rosettes ([[offsets]], "[[hen and chicks]]"), by splitting of the rosette (only ''[[Jovibarba|Jovibarba heuffelii]]'') or [[Sexual reproduction|sexually]] by tiny seeds.

| wide =    <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->

 

| origin = ?  <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->

Typically, each plant grows for several years before flowering. Their hermaphrodite flowers have first a male stage. Then the [[stamen]]s curve themselves and spread away from the [[carpel]]s at the center of the flower, so [[Self-pollination]] is rather difficult. The colour of the flowers is reddish, yellowish, pinkish, or - seldom - whitish. In ''Sempervivum'', the flowers are [[actinomorphic flower|actinomorphic]] (like a star) and have more than six petals, while in ''[[Jovibarba]]'', the flowers are campanulate (bell-shaped) and are pale green-yellow with six [[petal]]s. After flowering, the plant dies, usually leaving many offsets it has produced during its life.

| poisonous =    <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->

 

| lifespan =    <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->

"Semp-lovers" are numerous and often have many different [[cultivar]]s in their collections. Sempervivums are very variable plants and hence hundreds, maybe thousands of cultivars were created, but a lot of them are not much different from each other. The main interest of these cultivars are not their flowers, but form and colour of the rosette-leaves. The most colourful time is generally from March till June.

| exposure = ?  <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->

 

| water = ?  <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->

| features =    <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->

| hardiness =    <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->

| bloom =    <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->

| sunset_zones =    <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->

| image = Sempervivum tectorum.JPG

| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->

{{Inc|

{{Inc|

Sempervivum (Latin, living forever). Crassulaceae. Houseleek. Thick fleshy usually stemless, perennial herbs or subshrubs which are used for carpet-bedding, rockeries, and the like. See [[Succulents]] for culture.

Sempervivum (Latin, living forever). Crassulaceae. Houseleek. Thick fleshy usually stemless, perennial herbs or subshrubs which are used for carpet-bedding, rockeries, and the like. See [[Succulents]] for culture.

==Cultivation==

==Cultivation==

{{edit-cult}}<!--- Type cultivation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->

Although their subtropical cousins are very frost-sensitive, Sempervivums are among the most frost-resistant succulents, making them popular [[garden]] plants. They require only moderate water and some protection from extreme exposure to the sun.

 

Sempervivums grow very well in dry conditions. Despite this if Sempervivums are grown in normal flower beds among other cultivated plants there can be a problem. If the flower beds are not particularly dry other plants may grow more strongly than the Sempervivums and overshadow them. Other plants may need to be removed, cut back or tied out of the way.

 

===Propagation===

===Propagation===

 

===Pests and diseases===

===Pests and diseases===

 

==Species==

==Species==

Include:

 

Species include:

*Sempervivum affine, Lamotte, is offered in the trade as having dark green rosettes marked with rose: fls. red. Eu. The botanical description is not available and the species is not treated in recent European floras.{{SCH}}

*Sempervivum affine, Lamotte, is offered in the trade as having dark green rosettes marked with rose: fls. red. Eu. The botanical description is not available and the species is not treated in recent European floras.{{SCH}}

*''[[Sempervivum albidum]]''

*''[[Sempervivum albidum]]''

*''[[Sempervivum zeleborii]]''

*''[[Sempervivum zeleborii]]''

*Sempervivum Zelebori, Schott. Barren rosette more than 2 in. diam., the young ones borne on densely puberulent peduncles: lvs. spatulate-oblanceolate to spatulate-lingulate, apex apiculate and purple, short-ciliate, both surfaces densely puberulent, glaucous; cauline lvs. smaller, linear-lingulate, apiculate and puberulent: fl.-st. minutely glandular and densely hirsute: fls. 11-12-merous, pale yellowish: calyx-segms. lanceolate: petals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, viscid hirtellous dorsally. Serbia. By some authorities referred to Sempervivum Pittonii, by others to Sempervivum globiferum; apparently distinct from both of them.{{SCH}}

*Sempervivum Zelebori, Schott. Barren rosette more than 2 in. diam., the young ones borne on densely puberulent peduncles: lvs. spatulate-oblanceolate to spatulate-lingulate, apex apiculate and purple, short-ciliate, both surfaces densely puberulent, glaucous; cauline lvs. smaller, linear-lingulate, apiculate and puberulent: fl.-st. minutely glandular and densely hirsute: fls. 11-12-merous, pale yellowish: calyx-segms. lanceolate: petals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, viscid hirtellous dorsally. Serbia. By some authorities referred to Sempervivum Pittonii, by others to Sempervivum globiferum; apparently distinct from both of them.{{SCH}}

==Gallery==

==Gallery==

<gallery>

<gallery perrow=5>

Image:Upload.png| photo 1

File:Sempervivum-Red Beauty1.jpg| photo 1

Image:Upload.png| photo 2

File:Sempervivum Purdys No. 70-1.jpg| photo 2

Image:Upload.png| photo 3

File:Sempervirum tectorum1.jpg| photo 3

</gallery>

</gallery>

==References==

==References==

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->

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