Sempervivumis a genus of monocarpic succulents in the family Crassulaceae , commonly screw as Houseleeks . Other common name include Live - incessantly and Hen and Chicks . There are about 50 metal money and 4,000 name cultivar .
Sempervivums are with a full range of colors of the leaves and the size and form of the rosette . Their natural home ground are typically 3,000 to 8,000 foot ( 900 to 2,500 m ) above the sea level , fromMoroccotoIran , through the mountains ofIberia , theAlps , Carpathians , Balkan Mountains , Turkey , theArmenian mountains , to the northeasterly part ofSaharaand theCaucasus .
The genus with the first six metal money was described byCarl Linnaeusin the first version ofSpecies Plantarumin 1753 .
Selection of colorful Sempervivums. Derivative of a photo byMountain Crest Gardens.
The generic name " Sempervivum(sem - per - VEE - vum ) " means " always ( forever ) alive . " It is a chemical compound of two Romance word of honor , the adverb " semper , " meaning " always , " and " vivuvm , " the sexless frame of the adjectival " vivus , " entail " alive , " and refers to the flora ’s hardiness and enduringness .
The common name " Houseleek " touch on to the growth of some species on the roof inEurope , while " Liveforever " educe from the generic name and refers to their hardiness and durability . The common name " Hen and Chicks " comes from the appearance of the plants . The ripe stem canker " hen " produces first " dame " around them or at the end of retentive stolon . As the " chicks " mature , they will also produce offset printing , becoming a " hen " themselves . The common name , " Hen and Chicks , " is deal with works of other genus likeEcheveria .
Sempervivums are alpine succulent with loggerheaded heavy leaves arranged in a slow rosette . The rosettes are between 0.5 and 6 column inch ( 1.3 and 15 cm ) in diam . leave are showy or matt , sometimes with a waxy bloom or downy hairs . SomeSempervivums have hairy rosettes . The color of the leaves varies from light-green , yellow , orangish , pinkish , reddish , to brown . plant life take to be grown in full sun to parade the unlike color fully . The small start arise in a cluster around the parent rosette , form mats of rosettes . Each russet scab is monocarpic , meaning it die after flowering , but the offsets will continue to multiply vegetatively , allow the plant to seem to live evermore . Flowers are virtuoso - shaped , usually pinkish or red ( although a few specie have pallid yellowish blossom ) , and appear in final clusters .
The members of the genusSempervivumare ordinarily easy to acknowledge , although they may sometimes be bedevil with the appendage of the genusEcheveria . However , Sempervivums are often not easy to identify . Even a clone can look very unlike under various outgrowth conditions or different times of the twelvemonth .
In some place , Sempervivums are traditionally grown on the roofs to protect the house from fervency and lightning and keep the family members safe and prosperous . It is also believed that they protect the family against witchcraft . In add-on , the succus from the leave-taking has been used in folk therapeutic for C for their coolant , anti - rabble-rousing , astringent and diuretic dimension .
Growing Conditions for Sempervivum
Sempervivums are among the most frost - insubordinate succulents , making them popular garden plants . They are an excellent choice as ground top for rock and roll gardens and xeriscaping but also spring up very well in a range of a function of unlike outdoor container .
Light
These succulents prefer a place in full sun but will appreciate some afternoon shade if planted in blistering climates . Sempervivums are not suitable for indoor ontogenesis because they usually do not get as much sunlight as they like . In most case , they will first stretch towards the close lite source and then eventually die . However , grow brightness level can help oneself to keep your indoorSempervivumhealthy .
Soil
To ensureSempervivums thrive , they need awell - draining soil mixwith 25 to 50 % Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin , gravel , and perlite or pumice stone . They can also acquire in veritable garden soil but make certain you only piss when the soil is ironical . If found in a can , a commercial-grade soil mix for succulents should be sufficient to keep the roots dry and happy .
Temperature
Almost allSempervivums are Robert Lee Frost - hardy and thrive in much colder temperature than other succulents . Therefore , they are staring for cold climates , as they can handle temperature down to -30 ° F ( -34.4 ° C).Sempervivums are also heat - large-minded but prefer median summertime temperatures between 65 and 75 ° F ( 18 and 24 ° hundred ) .
Pot Size
pick out a pot with drainage jam , wide but not too deep , so that the plant can fan out easy in the space around .
General Care for Sempervivum
Sempervivums are low - upkeep plant life once established , but there are some tips you could follow to ensure your plants are thriving . They will grow comfortably if you could mimic the environmental conditions of the pile from which they came .
Watering
Although drought - liberal , Sempervivums ask uniform moisture during the growing season . Water thoroughly during the give and summer and allow the soil to dry out out betweenwatering . It is best to water in the former morning or eve . Never let water supply sit around in the stem canker or underneath the pot . Reduce watering in the fall when plant enter quiescency . Mature rosettes planted in the ground blithely pass the winter under a blanket of snow , and they can overwinter without receive extra water from you . Young rosettes with unestablished roots or plants in containers may need a bite of piddle to make it through winter .
Fertilizing
MostSempervivums turn well without feed , but they benefit from a control - release fertilizer at the beginning of the growing time of year . They can also befertilizedonce a week with a diluted liquid resolution , such as a balanced 20 - 20 - 20 fertilizer at quarter strength . For untried plants , use a fertiliser with less atomic number 7 . Too much nitrogen can relent the tissue paper and make the russet scab susceptible to rot .
Repotting
plant in container will benefit from being repot . Repot as postulate , rather during the spring . Make certain the soil is dry before repotting , then remove the pot and knock away the soil from the ascendent , removing any decayed or dead root . Place the plant in a newfangled spate and backfill with sweet well - run out territory . Leave the plant dry for a week , then begin to H2O softly to reduce the risk of root rot .
How to Propagate Sempervivum
Sempervivums can be grown by seeds or by stolon produced each season .
Offsets
The easiest mode to propagateSempervivums is by dividing the get-go . mildly lift the offsets away from the female parent rosette , clip the runner connecting the two , and found them into well - run out soil . The best time to part the offsets is bound or summer , once they are at least a quarter of the mother russet scab ’s size .
Seeds
Sow the seeds indoors at temperature between 65 and 75 ° F ( 18 and 24 ° deoxycytidine monophosphate ) . Fill tray or pots with well - drain ground intermixture , scatter the seeds , and iron out them into the Earth’s surface of the soil . Keep moist until sprouting . It takes from two to seven weeks for semen to germinate . you could startle the seeds in the dip to have seedling in sizing for transplantation in spring .
Pests and Diseases of Sempervivum
Sempervivums are tough plants that usually grow without problems as long as they are not overwatered .
Pests
Keep an eye out formealybugs , aphid , scale insect , root word mealybug , and vine weevil .
Mealybugsmost often discommode the plants grown indoors , in greenhouses , or outside in damp weather . First , endeavor to remove the bugs using a cotton fiber swab dipped in rubbing alcohol . For a more serious plague , you may practice insecticidal soap or an insect powder .
Aphidsseem to be pull to plant stress from insufficient light . Use a eruption of water from a spray bottleful and examine to knock off as much as you could see . permit the industrial plant dry out for a few day , and then take a spray bottle with a solution of 50/50 fray alcohol and water .
Scale insectsare sap - feeding insects named for the cuticle - like waxy covering concealing their soundbox . They attach themselves to the stalk and undersurface of leaf . If caught ahead of time , scale insects can be rubbed off by mitt or a cotton plant swab hock in chafe alcoholic beverage .
Theroot mealybugsandvine weevilsare even harder to notice . The vine weevil eat leaves during spring and summertime , but they can cause the most damage over fall and winter when they feed on works root word . This harm can ensue in wilt and plant life end . Spraying the plant with 70 % fret alcohol may assist moderate these pests .
Diseases
It is uncommon to seeSempervivums suffer from bacterial , virus , or fungus infection . However , they can be susceptible torust disease . diadem rotmay also occur in pissed dirt . Both job can be prevented ifSempervivums are grown in wry conditions .
Toxicity of Sempervivum
Sempervivums are not known to contain any toxic compounds . Therefore , they are considered good plants to grow around PET and children .
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