• All Herbs
• Medicinal Herbs
• Scented Herbs
• Culinary Herbs
• Minimum Order: 3 and multiples of 3 of 9cm size. Single 1 litre pot items

House leek - Sempervivum tectorum

Type: Perennial

Houseleeks, or Sempervivum tectorum are a group of low-growing succulent plants that have a variety of common names, e.g. Liveforever, Hen and Chicks.

Originating from the area around the Mediterannean and Northern Africa, this adaptable herb is so successful due to their ability to store water in their thick leaves, and this allows them to live on sunny rocks and stony places in mountain, coastal and alpine belts.

As an evergreen, this pretty plant grows up to 5cm tall, and after a few years, will produce pink star-shaped flowers on long-stems during the summer. Houseleeks will grow in stony, well-drained soil or rocky crevices, and prefers sun, but will grow in shade. Once established, Houseleeks will produce off-sets which can be used to propogate new plant colonies, and although Sempervivum tectorum will spread happily, it is not invasive.

Happy to be grown in a well-draining container, Houseleeks' leaves are harvested as needed, as the juice from the broken leaves can be applied externally to soothe insect bites, stings and burns.