Plant Care Hens and Chicks

Hens and Chicks

4.4 out of 5 (128 experiences)

Hens and Chicks has a Survivor plant personality Survivor
Hens and Chicks has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower

About Hens and Chicks

Common Houseleek is a species of flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae native to the mountains of southern Europe. It is cultivated in Europe for its appearance, and a Roman tradition that says it protects buildings against lightning strikes. It thrives in sandy or gravelly soils and will tolerate poor soils and some drought. It's at its best when planted in groups or massed as a ground cover.

Taxonomy

Sempervivum tectorum
Sempervivum
Crassulaceae
Saxifragales

Also known as

Houseleek, Desert Rose Sempervivum, Hens and Chicks 'Desert Bloom', 'Emerald Empress', Berry Bomb, Hen & Chicks Spring Beauty and Common Houseleek

How to care for Hens and Chicks

💦 Water

How often to water your Hens and Chicks

Water needs for Hens and Chicks
0.5 cups
every 12

Hens and Chicks needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Hens and Chicks

Water 0.5 cups every
12

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Hens and Chicks in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Hens and Chicks: 1ft from a window
1ft or less from
a window

Hens and Chicks love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Hens and Chicks does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Hens and Chicks in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Hens and Chicks

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Hens and Chicks: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Hens and Chicks after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

Browse #Sempervivum
💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Hens and Chicks is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!

How to Grow Hens and Chicks →

Benefits of Growing Hens and Chicks →

Common Hens and Chicks Problems →

Indoor Care Guide for Hens and Chicks →

Outdoor Care Guide for Hens and Chicks →


💦 Water Needs

Hens and Chicks thrives in dry soil and should be watered sparingly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Hens and Chicks Water Frequency →

Hens and Chicks Root Rot →


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Hens and Chicks requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Hens and Chicks Light Requirements →

Hens and Chicks Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Hens and Chicks is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.

Is Hens and Chicks Edible? →

Hens and Chicks Toxicity to Cats →

Hens and Chicks Toxicity to Dogs →

Hens and Chicks Toxicity to Humans →


💨 Humidity

Hens and Chicks prefers dry environments. Providing extra humidity or misting your plant allows water to linger on leaves, which can create the perfect environment for harmful types of fungi.

Hens and Chicks Humidity Needs →


🪴 Soil

Hens and Chicks is very sensitive to wet soil, so choose a potting soil that drains very well and doesn’t retain too much moisture. A good soil will have lots of perlite or vermiculite for drainage and some organic matter for nutrition. A few handfuls of perlite added to regular store-bought cactus soil will do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Hens and Chicks →

Best Pots for Hens and Chicks →

When and How to Successfully Repot Hens and Chicks →

What Are Healthy Hens and Chicks Roots →


💩 Fertilizer

Hens and Chicks should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Hens and Chicks →


❄️ Dormancy

It’s common for Hens and Chicks to go dormant in the wintertime and you may notice their growth slow down. Waterings should be spaced out more during this time.


🌎 Native Region

Hens and Chicks is native to the Mediterranean.


🌸 Flowers
⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Hens and Chicks grows along the ground and sends out shoots which will spread across the soil.

Hens and Chicks Lifecycle →

Hens and Chicks Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Hens and Chicks →


🌦️ Growing Outdoors
🌱 Propagation

Hens and Chicks can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

  • Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
  • If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
  • Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
  • Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

How to Propagate Hens and Chicks →


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


😖 Common Issues

Overwatering is a likely cause of issues with Hens and Chicks. These plants are very sensitive to wet soil so if you notice your plant becoming squishy or translucent, overwatering is the likely culprit.

Cut your plant just past where the rot ends and allow it to callus over for a few days before replanting it in fresh, dry soil. Download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


Care Summary for Hens and Chicks

Hens and Chicks

Hens and Chicks


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 12 days

Placement

< 1ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say

Hens and Chicks has a Survivor plant personality Survivor 74
Hens and Chicks has a Fast grower plant personality Fast grower 48
Hens and Chicks has a Easy to propagate plant personality Easy to propagate 48
Hens and Chicks has a Large, lush leaves plant personality Large, lush leaves 17
Hens and Chicks has a Blooms easily plant personality Blooms easily 15
Hens and Chicks has a Browns easily plant personality Browns easily 12
Hens and Chicks has a Pest magnet plant personality Pest magnet 9
@AvidWinika avatar
@@AvidWinika
leaf-1 53 Plants
xp 1,570 XP
globe Knoxville, TN
02/15/2022

Very pretty 🤩

Fast grower Fast grower
@annaxsmith avatar
@@annaxsmith
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 230 XP
globe Middleville, MI
08/15/2021

it’s very easy

Survivor Survivor
@Amazingness avatar
@@Amazingness
leaf-1 4 Plants
xp 111 XP
08/12/2021

It’s fun and looks cool hanging in a small pot near the window 😁

@sharnirose avatar
@@sharnirose
leaf-1 20 Plants
xp 710 XP
07/22/2021

This plant is really hardy and doesn’t require much effort

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
@mias1fairy avatar
@@mias1fairy
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 86 XP
globe Stockton, NJ
07/19/2021

don’t water it to much!!

Fast grower Fast grower
@McCall avatar
@@McCall
leaf-1 34 Plants
xp 1,981 XP
globe Salt Lake City, UT
07/18/2021

Easy plant. I have her in a container with 2 burro-tails and a cactus. She requires very little maintenance. He babies keep on coming. It’s a fun little plant.

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@KizWiz avatar
@@KizWiz
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 275 XP
globe Bristol, England
07/10/2021

Dont overwater it

@Harrypotterlover avatar
@@Harrypotterlover
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 115 XP
07/08/2021

Easy to take care of.

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Survivor Survivor
@Harrypotterlover avatar
@@Harrypotterlover
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 115 XP
07/07/2021

Be prepared to relax with these plants they are easy

Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
Fast grower Fast grower
@Ginger2680 avatar
@@Ginger2680
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 99 XP
globe Rotherham, England
07/07/2021

⟟ love Barbara

Survivor Survivor
Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Blooms easily Blooms easily
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Deirdre avatar
@Deirdre
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 108 XP
globe Wantagh, NY
06/30/2021

I am a fan of all succulents so I find this gorgeous!

Fast grower Fast grower
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
@Lillththeecatus avatar
@@Lillththeecatus
leaf-1 17 Plants
xp 520 XP
globe Auckland
06/29/2021

I love this little cutie! Sits so well in the terrarium with my string of buttons, so far has been easy to look after and looks adorable. Would totally recommend to new plant parents!

Survivor Survivor
@BrandyLVSplants avatar
@@BrandyLVSplants
leaf-1 93 Plants
xp 6,167 XP
06/27/2021

He seems to be happy and growing well, but is he supposed to have all these tiny hairs? I don’t see them on most of the other pics.

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Survivor Survivor
Lisa avatar
@Lisa
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 44 XP
globe Campbellsville, KY
06/23/2021

Easy to grow

Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Fast grower Fast grower
Lisa avatar
@Lisa
leaf-1 2 Plants
xp 44 XP
globe Campbellsville, KY
06/23/2021

They get big

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
@zvone avatar
@@zvone
leaf-1 5 Plants
xp 1,169 XP
globe Zagreb, City of Zagreb
06/17/2021

Maybe it’s because of the care or the soil conditions or even my location, but it browns easily. However, it’s very beautiful as a Plant.

Browns easily Browns easily
@Tiak143 avatar
@@Tiak143
leaf-1 11 Plants
xp 2,020 XP
06/14/2021

I brought it home and it died within days.. not sure if it’s something I did, or if I just got a bad plant. 🤷🏻‍♀️ oh well!

Browns easily Browns easily
Pest magnet Pest magnet
@Jazzthespazz avatar
@@Jazzthespazz
leaf-1 3 Plants
xp 408 XP
globe Happy Valley, OR
06/06/2021

This came grown out already in a very small pot without drainage, I recommend a pot with drainage because mine browned and it’s been difficult to grow back.

@Phemma101 avatar
@@Phemma101
leaf-1 0 Plants
xp 179 XP
05/31/2021

I absolutely love this plant it’s easy to manage and lovely!

Fast grower Fast grower
Large, lush leaves Large, lush leaves
Easy to propagate Easy to propagate
Survivor Survivor
@Phemma101 avatar
@@Phemma101
leaf-1 0 Plants
xp 179 XP
05/31/2021

Pretty good plant just make sure to buy one without a bunch of dead leafs

Survivor Survivor

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