Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) is a plant of succulent leaves that can grow up to 10cm tall and 10cm – 50cm wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum).
This plant has several common names including: common houseleek, St Patrick’s cabbage, bullock’s beard, bullock’s eye, devil’s beard, earwort, fuet, healing blade, homewort, imbroke, Jove’s beard, Jupiter’s beard, Jupiter’s eye, poor Jan’s leaf, red-leaved houseleek, roof foil, roof houseleek, sengreen, thunder plant or welcome-home-husband-however-drunk-you-be.
This is a evergreen plant that takes 5-10 years to reach full maturity.
In this article
Plant profile
Common name: common houseleek, St Patrick’s cabbage, bullock’s beard, bullock’s eye, devil’s beard, earwort, fuet, healing blade, homewort, imbroke, Jove’s beard, Jupiter’s beard, Jupiter’s eye, poor Jan’s leaf, red-leaved houseleek, roof foil, roof houseleek, sengreen, thunder plant, welcome-home-husband-however-drunk-you-be
Scientific name: Sempervivum tectorum
Plant type: Cactus / Succulent
Habit: Mat forming
Height: Up to 10cm
Spread: 10cm – 50cm
Foliage: Evergreen
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: Informal Garden, Patio & Container Garden, Rock & Gravel Garden
Planting type: Flower borders and bedding, Ground Cover, Hedging & Screens
Other characteristics: RHS Award of Garden Merit
Seasonal colors
| Season | Stem | Foliage | Flower | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
How to plant Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) – Ellehard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cacti and succulent plants are appreciated for their natural charm, mainly for their leaf shapes, but also in some cases for their colorful flowers in spring and summer.
They should be cultivated in areas that mimic the conditions in which they grow in nature, which are usually exposed places with stony and fast-draining soils.
These characteristics make them to be grown in pots.
How to plant
In this section we will learn how to plant Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.
Soil
Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) is a plant that prefers to grow in loam or sand.
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The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.
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Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.
It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.
Regarding drainage, Sempervivum tectorum likes to grow in well drained soil.
Sunlight
Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) should be grown in full sun places.
Cultivation profiles – Growing Common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) – Syrio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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