I’ve mentioned several times that Betsy and I have sempervivum (hens and chicks) in our yard. Sempervivum are hardy alpine succulents, which come in many forms and colors, green through brown, yellow, orange, pink and red. Hens and chicks need to be planted in full sun to get the most color; out of full sun they all tend to have a similar green color. Because we have many trees around the house, we have mostly greens, but there is enough sun for us to enjoy some of the colors as well.
The mature rosettes of hens can be from half an inch to 6 inches in diameter. Each hen sends out numerous offsets (the chicks) and in this way form compact carpets of plants within a season or two. Sempervivum are very easy to grow and they grow well under many different conditions. We have sempervivum in rock gardens and in places where other plants won’t grow.
There is only one problem with sempervivum — they are monocarpic. That is, each rosette can only flower once and then dies. The dead hen leaves a hole in a clump, but the hole is usually quickly filled by the chicks.
The hen above will die out in a few days. Fortunately there are already many chicks ready to take her place.
Senior Moments 