Plant of the Week: Hens and Chicks

Are you looking for something to line your paths and walkways on your commercial property? If guests, tricycles and pets aren’t going to veer off the walkway and you must have succulents, hens and chicks are popular choices. These drought-tolerant ground covers spread by growing multiple plants, come in a variety of colors and prefer sun, otherwise they fade to a light green. Some hens and chicks grow taller than others so make sure to check the height if you’d like them to rise to the same level as your walkway.

 Hen and chicks (also known as hen-and-chickens, or hen-and-biddies in the Southwest) is a common name for a group of small succulent plants belonging to the flowering plant family Crassulaceae, native to Europe and northern Africa. They grow close to the ground with leaves formed around each other in a rosette, and propagating by offsets. The "hen" is the main plant, and the "chicks" are the offspring, which start as tiny buds on the main plant and soon sprout their own roots, taking up residence close to the mother plant. They are very popular here in the Phoenix Metro area.

Plants commonly referred to as "Hens and chicks" include ground-hugging species of Sempervivum (houseleeks) such as Sempervivum 'Pekinese', S. arachnoideum (cobweb houseleek), and S. arachnoideum (common houseleek), as well as members of the related genus Jovibarba. The name is also used for some species of Echeveria, Sedum and Bergenia although these plants differ significantly from Sempervivum and Jovibarba, and may require different cultivation and care.

 Hen and chicks are popular in gardens for its varied and interesting appearance and hardiness. It is grown as container planting or in rock gardens. It does best in well-drained, rocky soil; if they are kept wet, the outer leaves will rot. Although it does best in sun, it will grow in light shade. 

Please keep in mind that this plant should be used with caution where a guest may encounter it direct. 

It doesn’t matter to us whether you want desert landscaping, lush lawns or some type of landscaping in between, we can help.  We serve businesses like yours all over the Phoenix Metro Area. To find out how give us a call at 623-848-8277.

Presented by:
Greens Keeper Landscape Maintenance, LLC
623-848-8277
http://www.commerciallandscapecare.com
greenskeeperllc@cox.net