Hens and chickens or Sempervivum plants work well as an accent in rock gardens and flowerbeds or in the edges of flowerpots. It gets the name hens and chickens for its appearance. The hen, or the adult plant, will produce several small plants via runners that encircle the adult plant, which may look like a mother hen and its chicks.
Hen Shape
Sempervivum do not produce a flower often, although the plant itself is shaped like a flower or a rosette. It comes in green, blue, purple, pink and gray.
Rooster Shape
Occasionally a rooster will appear. A rooster is a tall shoot that is attractive while it is blooming with red or yellow flowers and the same thick leaves as the hen. You can cut these off before or after they bloom, as they are not needed for reproduction. You may prefer to cut the stalk as soon as it appears to maintain a particular appearance in your hen and chicken colony.
Hardiness
During wet months, you will lose a chick or a hen if the soil stays too moist or if the plant becomes dislodged from the soil. Plants can survive without moisture for a couple of weeks, sometimes longer, but the Sempervivum is a succulent that does not tolerate soggy conditions.
