Sempervivums, the iconic houseleek, are working their magic and are bang on trend as the must-have plant for 2019.Making a welcome return to our homes, gardeners are falling in love again with the houseleek and discovering that they are a real multipurpose plant and ideal in pots on the patio or balcony. Be part of this succulent revolution and buy yours now - let yourself be won over by these fascinating, low-maintenance perennials. Available in a range of colours and sizes, colours deepen in winter as the weather becomes colder. Sempervivums form rosettes of colourful, evergreen, succulent leaves and are low growing, making them extremely popular as a living carpet of green and an ideal candidate for green roofs and living walls as they’re recommended as an ideal plant to help adapt our gardens to climate change. Also known as hen and chicks, sempervivums are drought tolerant and will grow in the narrowest of cracks - hence their common name, as they were once used to plug gaps in leaking roofs. This resurgence in popularity has been driven in part by their undemanding nature - they’re very much a ‘plant-it-and-leave-it’ type of plant - easy to grow and a doddle to maintain, fully winter hardy and produce multiple new plants every year. As a bonus during the summer, the mature rosettes throw out spikes topped with star-shaped flowers which insects love, plus they produce offsets, or new plants, every season that are simple to separate and grow as new specimens.Really easy to grow and a favourite with kids, Sempervivums require well-drained soil in full sun, tolerating drought when established. Sempervivum arachnoideum: the cobweb houseleek, covered in white cobwebs and 1-3cm (0.5 -1in) rosettes. Pink flowers Sempervivum calcareum: Classic green with purple leaf tips, with large rosettes up to 13cm (5in). White flowers Sempervivum Joribara allionii: Bright green with small rosettes, 5cm (2in). Yellow flowers Sempervivum Ruby Heart: Long burgundy leaves with emerald-green tips in large rosettes to 18cm (7in). Rose-pink flowers Sempervivum Standard Green: Bright green leaves and pink flowers. Medium-sized rosettes to 8cm (3in) Sempervivum Rubin (AGM):Burgundy-red leaves with pink flowers. Rosettes 10cm (4in) wide Please note that varieties may change throughout the year, depending on availability. Specifications Supplied as 12 plug plants, 2 each of 6 named varieties ready to grow on before planting out. Availability: June to November Planting time: March to October Flowering time: June to September Model Number: 480458 Top Tips Plant individual varieties in a clay pot in gritty soil, top with small gravel and display each one on a sunny outside windowsill. Care Information Plant in full sun in well-drained soil. Sempervivum plants prefer well-drained soil with sand or grit added. Grow them in trays or pots, in the ground, or on wood or in rock piles. Once established, the plant’s need no further care. Once a rosette flowers, it dies back so simply pull out the dead rosette and fill the hole with gritty soil. The plant will quickly fill in any empty spots with offsets.
