Sempervivum ‘Commander Hay’

house leek
Green and red succulent makes tight colony over time. Great in rock gardens, pots and cracks. Starburst flowers held on vertical stems.
height 2–5in
width 6–18in
tolerates Drought, Narrow Planting, Pots, Rooftops, Wind
water
needs		 Moderate
water
info		 Sempervivums are drought tolerant succulents, wanting to go from wet to dry, but they’ll need additional water if they are grown in a particularly sunny hot spot, especially away from the coast or in a rock garden where the rocks will heat up the area.
hardy
to		 -20F
exposure Part Sun – Part Shade
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin Hybrid, Europe
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 4–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Sempervivums have a dense form, eventually creating a solid mat of tightly packed rosettes.
Sempervivums have such a shallow root system that they almost seem detached at times, and in fact this is by design, allowing them to roll or be blown to a new location, where they can begin a new life. Don’t be discouraged if you find your sempervivum growing on long thin ‘branches’! This is usually a sign that the plant has filled its pot/rock/crack and is heading out for a new home.
Each rosette will eventually throw off a short unfurling spike of star-shaped flowers. Afterwards that head will die off, replaced by pups, and it can be removed. Sempervivums bloom during summer months.

Special Interest

Sempervivum means ‘long-lived,‘ attesting to this plant’s durability in the garden and ability to grow in tough conditions with little soil.

The common name ‘house leek’ refers to sempervivum’s usefulness on living roofs and also the edibility of the young shoots, said to taste similar to cucumbers.