Houseleek is valued as an easy-care accessory for clever planting ideas. This raises the question of whether indestructible Sempervivum is also suitable as a decorative ground cover for barren locations. The answer is as clear as it is inspiring for creative hobby gardeners.
Is houseleek a suitable ground cover?
Houseleek (Sempervivum) is ideal as a ground cover because it forms dense, evergreen rosettes of leaves, is hardy and spreads quickly. This plant thrives in full sun locations with sandy-gravelly soil, such as rock gardens and gravel beds.
Is houseleek suitable as a ground cover?
The houseleek (Sempervivum) formsdense leaf rosettes, which sit on a very shortened shoot axis. The succulent perennial tirelessly spreads through numerous daughter rosettes. In summer, long stems with star-shaped flowers rise from the rosettes of leaves. These growth characteristics explain why houseleeks are perfect as ground cover:
- Growth height 5-15 cm, at flowering time up to 30 cm.
- Growth width 20-25 cm.
- Hemi-spherical or star-shaped, evergreen rosettes of juicy, tapering leaves.
- Rapid spread and reproduction through daughter rosettes.
- Hardy to -30° Celsius.
How do I properly plant houseleek as a ground cover?
The houseleek grows wherever other plants are defeated. With unshakable composure, the succulent plant thrives in sweltering heat, bone-dry drought and bitter cold. Plant houseleek as a ground cover in afull sunny locationwithsandy-gravelly soil, such as a rock garden or gravel bed. The sunnier the location, the more colorful the houseleek ground cushion.
The best time to plant is in autumn. Ideally, you mix the potting soil with lava granules or fine-grained grit. A planting distance of 20-25 cm guarantees that houseleeks quickly combine to form a closed ground cover.
Which houseleek species make beautiful ground cover?
A colorful array of colorful Sempervivum species offers the ideal houseleek for every design wish. Let thesePremium varieties inspire you for creative houseleek planting ideas as ground cover:
- 'Water Lily': emerald green leaf rosettes with red-brown tips and pink flowers, height 10-15 cm.
- 'Crimson Velvet': extra wide growing houseleek with 5-15 cm small red-green rosettes in a growth width of up to 30 cm.
- 'Feldmaier': the ideal ground cover for roof gardens and roof tiles with red-brown leaf rosettes.
- 'Othello': the vigorous giant houseleek quickly forms a dense ground cushion of dark red-brown rosettes.
Tip
Houseleek as a lucky charm, magic herb and medicinal plant
From the Middle Ages to the 20th century, houseleeks were said to have magical powers. With houseleeks on the roof, the residents of the house were lucky and protected from lightning strikes. Evil witches spared all buildings with dangling houseleeks in the chimney. As a medicinal plant, houseleek alleviated a variety of complaints, such as nausea, stomach ulcers, inflammation, all kinds of wounds, even jaundice and deafness.
