Sempervivum 'Terracotta Baby'

RHS Plant Profile

houseleek 'Terracotta Baby'

RHS

Alpine Rockery Cactus Succulent

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A succulent evergreen comprising dark red rosettes with a green centre, made up of fleshy, oblong leaves with a downy surface and producing numerous offsets that develop into a low mat. Small, dense clusters of pink, star-shaped flowers are produced on upright, leafy stalks in summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Sand, Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Sand Loam

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H5
Drought Resistance: Yes

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Crassulaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Matforming
Genus: Sempervivum are evergreen perennials forming mats of fleshy-leaved rosettes, often attractively coloured, with star-shaped pink or pale yellow flowers in summer
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from excessive winter wet. Suitable for rock garden, scree bed, wall crevice, trough or alpine house

Propagation

Propagate by rooting offsets in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Low Maintenance

Pruning

Carefully remove spent rosettes after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to sempervivum leaf miner, slugs and snails, and vine weevil larvae

Diseases

May be susceptible to a rust