Houseleek (Sempervivum grandiflorum)
Care, watering, light and tips for Houseleek on Floravia.
Quick facts
- Family: Crassulaceae
- Difficulty: Easy to care for
- Watering: every 14 days
- Light: Full sun
- Temperature: 5–35 °C
About Houseleek
Sempervivum grandiflorum, also known as Large-flowered Houseleek or Gaudin's Houseleek, is a perennial succulent that forms compact, attractive rosettes. Its fleshy leaves vary in color, often displaying green hues with reddish tips, and it occasionally produces a spectacular pale yellow star-shaped bloom. It is ideal for rock gardens, green roofs, containers, and as ground cover in dry, sunny areas.
Native range
Mountains of Southern Europe, especially the Alps and the Carpathians.
Care tips
This houseleek thrives in full sun to light partial shade, requiring at least 6 hours of direct light for optimal growth and coloration. Watering should be infrequent; only when the substrate is completely dry, avoiding waterlogging which can lead to rot. It prefers well-draining, sandy or gritty soils, specifically formulated for succulents. A common mistake is overwatering, which is the primary cause of its decline.
How to save a dying Houseleek
- Warning signs
- Soft, wrinkled, or discolored leaves; closed or etiolated rosette. Soft or rotting roots.
- First aid
- Remove from pot, clean roots, cut rotten parts. Replant in dry, well-draining substrate. Do not water.
- What kills it
- Overwatering, especially in winter. Poor or badly draining soil. Lack of light.
- Can it be saved?
- Yes, if healthy parts remain. Propagate healthy offsets or rosettes as backup.