Species library › Sempervivum › Sempervivum tectorum
Succulents Well documented

Sempervivum tectorum

The common houseleek, a hardy rosette succulent from the mountains of southern Europe that spreads by offsets. It needs full sun, sharp drainage and a real cold winter. It does far better outdoors than indoors.

Sempervivum tectorum
Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Rocky slopes, screes, cliffs and dry grassland in the mountains, on shallow, fast-draining soil. It is also long grown on walls and roofs.

Mostly montane to subalpine, roughly 1,000–2,800 m. The median recorded elevation is 1,189 m.

Pyrenees (Spain, France)Alps (France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria)Massif CentralApenninesGermanyBalkans

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.