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Last weekend I went to a workshop about hybridizing hens and chicks with Kevin Vaughn. Kevin is a geneticist. He has been working with hens and chicks for about 50 years. In the world of Sempervivum it was like discussing governments with John Adams and hearing him tell stories about the other founding fathers. Hybridizers have a very unique way of looking at plants. Most of us see a plant/flower as something fixed. A red flower is a red flower. A white flower is a white flower. Hybridizers

Sempervivum are tough little succulent plants. They can take most punishment that their owners inflict on them. These little plants punch through neglect like it's nothing. Drought doesn't phase them and cold just makes them more colorful. Despite these super powers, they have a weakness. Their kryptonite is cold, wet feet.Hens and Chicks do not like to have their roots sitting in cold water. If the plant is dry and cold, it will be okay. If it's summer time and the plant is in a puddle then it

One of our favorite things about Sempervivum succulents is that they are always changing. Every time you look at them, there is something new happening. They grow larger. They change colors throughout the year. They shoot out baby plants. They send up a flower spike. It makes them very fascinating to grow. On top of all this, sempervivum (as well as other succulents) also mutate. Mutations in succulents seem to be more common than in other plants. They have a crested form where the rosette

Sempervivum, Sedum and other succulents have a great resume of positive characteristics. They are drought tolerant, easy care, have colorful year-round foliage, and many are cold hardy. In addition to all this, hens and chicks and sedum often find their way onto Deer Resistant plant lists. Unfortunately, the lists of deer resistant plants haven’t been well distributed among the deer herds. You’ll notice that all the lists say resistant, not deer proof. That’s because there really isn’t such

Well, the cold weather had definitely arrived. Snow. Rain. Ice. All that stuff that we expect in January and the reason we are excited for Spring. While we are all bundled up, keeping warm inside, how are our succulents doing outside?There are two different scenarios for cold hardy succulents like sempervivum and sedum that are planted outside. They are either in the ground or in pots. Your care for them might change depending on where yours are.In the Ground Hens and Chicks are native to expose