Plant encyclopedia›common houseleek

common houseleek

Also known as: 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; St Patrick's cabbage; thunder plant; welcome-home-husband-however-drunk-you-be

A vigorous mat-forming evergreen perennial with clusters of fleshy rosettes to 10cm in width, the leaves blue-green suffused with reddish-purple. Starry purplish flowers are borne in flat cymes on stems to 20cm in height

Scientific classification

Species: common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum)
Genus: Sempervivum
Family: Crassulaceae

Information to be completed
Toxicity: Alpine Rockery · Cactus Succulent
Plant type: Up to 10 cm
Height: 0.1-0.5 metres
Spread: Evergreen
Foliage: Matforming
Habit: Spring · Summer · Autumn · Winter
Season of interest: Full sun
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

common houseleek pictures

Distribution of common houseleek

Distribution map

Europe

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Culture

Information to be completed

Toxicity

Information to be completed

Quick identification of common houseleek

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common houseleek care guide

Let gritty soil dry fully before each thorough watering cycle
Watering: Full sun
Sunlight: Information to be completed
Ideal temperature

Watering

Let gritty soil dry fully before each thorough watering cycle

Fertilizing

Very dilute low-nitrogen succulent feed monthly in warm growth

Pruning

No pruning required

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in spring, or root offsets in spring

Growing

Grow in moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from excessive winter wet. Suitable for rock garden, scree bed, wall crevice, trough or alpine house

More growing and care information →