Sempervivum 'Purple Beauty' Hens & Chicks

Sempervivum 'Purple Beauty', an evergreen perennial also known as hens & chicks or houseleek, is a mat-forming succulent that stands out with its medium-sized, semi-open rosettes featuring green centers and striking deep purple tips. Under optimal conditions, this plant may even bloom in midsummer. 'Purple Beauty' grows as one larger rosette (the hen) and multiplies by sprouting smaller rosettes (the chicks) around it. After the hen blooms, it naturally dies, allowing the chicks to mature into hens themselves. The chicks can be pulled up and replanted at any time.

With their architectural form and versatility, hens & chicks can thrive in unusual places, like the nooks and crannies of dry stone walls or rock gardens, and in difficult conditions, such as in xeriscapes and alpine gardens. When planted en masse in small spaces, they create an attractive ground cover. They also make beautiful indoor or outdoor container plants.

Hens and chicks are adaptable, cold hardy plants that require minimal maintenance and can grow almost anywhere. They prefer sunny locations but can benefit from some light shade, especially in hot summer climates. They adapt to a variety of soils but thrive in average, dry to medium moist, well-draining gritty soils with a slightly acidic pH between 5.8 to 6.5. Hens & chicks tolerate drought and resist pests, disease, deer, and rabbits. About the only thing that can harm these hardy plants is excessive moisture, and 'Purple Beauty' requires especially sharp drainage.