Houseleek

Appearance

It forms rosettes up to 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter in the wild, more in cultivation. Offsets freely to form a dense mat. The leaves are green, tipped with red, glandular-hairy and very resinous being almost sticky to the touch. The flowering stem is up to 20 cm (8 inches) tall. The blooms are 3 cm across, yellow to greenish-yellow, purplish at the base.

Naming

Sempervivum braunii, Sempervivum gaudinii, Sempervivum globiferum, Sempervivum wulfenii subsp. gaudinii.
Common Names: Hen and Chicks

Distribution

It is native to the Swiss and Italian Alps.

Habitat

It grows in cracks in rocks and on rocky soils. It is calcifuge, meaning it is a plant that does not tolerate alkaline (basic) soil.