The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Houseleek

General Information

Sempervivum tectorum is a Evergreen Perennial up to 0.15 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Original habitat is obscure but the plant is naturalized in Britain.

Habitat

Roofs, old walls, chimneys and rocks, especially on limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained gritty soil in full sun[]. Succeeds in any sandy soil[], doing well in very little soil in rock crevices, walls, paths etc so long as there is sufficient humus[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[, ] and dislike winter wet[].
One of the many common names for this plant is rather interesting, but was too long to put in the common name entry earlier in this record. It is 'Welcome home husband, however drunk you be'.
The plant is sometimes planted in thatched roofs since it is supposed to give protection against lightning, thunderbolts and fire to any house that it grows on[]. It is also said to preserve the thatch[, ]. There is some justification to this belief because the leaves contain a great deal of water and do not burn easily - if there are many of the plants growing on the roof then they will tend to put out the fire before it can take hold properly.
Individual rosettes die after flowering, but usually produce a number of offsets that continue to grow[].
A polymorphic species, it is divided into a number of sub-species by some botanists[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves and shoots - raw[]. They can be eaten in salads[].
The juice of the leaves is used as a refreshing drink[, ].

Medicinal

Houseleek leaves and their juice are used for their cooling and astringent effect, being applied externally to soothe many skin conditions. As with many other remedies that are both astringent and soothing, houseleek simultaneously tightens and softens the skin.
The fresh leaves are astringent, diuretic, odontalgic, refrigerant and vulnerary[, , , , , ]. They are used as a poultice in much the same way as Aloe vera in the treatment of a wide range of skin diseases, burns, scalds, bites and stings etc and have also been used to get rid of warts and corns[, , , ]. The plant is also sometimes used internally in the treatment of shingles, skin complaints and haemorrhoids, though some care is required since in excess the plant is emetic and purgative[]. The leaves are harvested as required and used fresh[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in early spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates in 2 - 6 weeks at 10°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer if they have made sufficient growth, otherwise grow them on for a further year in pots before planting them out[].
Division of offsets in spring or early summer. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer. Plants can also be divided in September but these divisions should be overwintered in a greenhouse.
Stem cuttings.