Sempervivum Meadow Blaze

Description

Sempervivum ‘Meadow Blaze’ – houseleek

Botanical name: Sempervivum (houseleek cultivar)
Common names: Houseleek, hens and chicks
Family: Crassulaceae
Plant type: Evergreen succulent perennial
Habit: Rosette-forming, mat-forming by offsets
Pot size: 9cm pot
Eventual size: Approx. 5–10cm tall × 20–30cm spread (clumping)
Foliage: Fleshy rosettes flushed with rich red tones; evergreen
Flowers: Star-shaped flowers on a stout stalk in summer; each flowering rosette then dies and is replaced by offsets
Scent: Not scented
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Very free-draining, gritty; poor, low fertility; neutral to alkaline
Hardiness: RHS H7 (very hardy, below −20°C); USDA zones 4–8
Exposure: Open, exposed, sunny; very tolerant
Native range: Species native to the mountains of Europe
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets

Sempervivum ‘Meadow Blaze’ is a hardy houseleek forming tight evergreen rosettes of fleshy leaves flushed with rich red tones. Wonderfully easy and drought-tolerant, it thrives in rockeries, troughs, walls and shallow pots in full sun.

GardenAdvice notes

A tough, evergreen succulent from mountain regions, the houseleek stores water in its fleshy rosettes and thrives in hot, dry, exposed positions where little else will grow. Each rosette produces a ring of offsets (‘chicks’) around itself, so plants steadily spread into colourful colonies; individual rosettes flower once then die, replaced by the surrounding offsets.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or summer in full sun with very sharp drainage — gritty, poor soil, a rockery, wall, trough or shallow pan is ideal. It positively enjoys hot, dry, exposed spots and thin soils. Space about 15–20cm apart and firm in lightly; they root readily.

Care & maintenance

Virtually maintenance-free. Water only in extreme drought, avoid feeding, and keep the crowns dry over winter. Remove flowered rosettes once they die back, leaving the offsets to fill the gap. Topdress with grit to keep the rosettes clean and dry.

Propagation

• Offsets: Detach the rooted offsets that form around each rosette at almost any time and press them into gritty compost — the easiest of all propagation.
• Seed: Can be raised from seed, though offsets are far quicker and keep named forms true.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Vine weevil grubs can attack roots in containers, and rosettes rot in wet, poorly drained conditions. Sharp drainage and a dry crown prevent almost all problems.

Uses in the garden

Perfect for rockeries, dry stone walls, alpine troughs and pans, gravel gardens, green roofs and shallow containers, and for planting into wall crevices and between paving.

Wildlife value

The summer flowers attract bees and other pollinating insects.

Toxicity & safety

Houseleeks are generally regarded as non-toxic to people and pets, and have a long history as safe, easy-going garden plants.

GardenAdvice tip

Houseleeks are among the most forgiving plants you can grow — the more neglect, heat and sharp drainage, the better. When a rosette flowers and then dies, don’t worry: just pull it out and the ring of offsets around it fills the space, so a single plant keeps renewing itself into an ever-widening colourful mat.

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