25 Stunning Varieties of Hens and Chicks Plants

Sempervivum spp., commonly known as Hens and Chicks, are superstars for succulent gardens indoors and outdoors. These compact geometric plants are beloved for their wide variety of colors and shapes, ability to spread quickly without much assistance, and their low maintenance nature.

As long as they are given enough sunlight, Sempervivum make wonderful low-effort houseplants that add a sense of structure to any indoor space.

In this article, we’ll cover 25 of our favorite Sempervivum varieties and why you should be growing them in your garden. With so many choices available, you’re bound to find your favorite type of Hens and Chicks plant. Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in!

‘Gold Nugget’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum Chick Charms® Gold Nugget™

• Size: Maximum Height is Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Yellow and Golden tones in the Fall
• Secondary Color: Burgundy and Red, Pink
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered and Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 5 inches to 6 inches

This variety has mind-boggling colors that shift with the season. The first Sempervivum to feature gold foliage, the dense clusters of leaves start out a yellowy-green at the base and morph into a fiery orange, making the entire plant look like a bright and active flame.

But color is not all there is to love about this variety. They also grow vigorously with little effort, tolerating low-quality soil and drought well. Once they begin producing their ‘chicks’ around the base of the original plant, you’re bound to fall even more in love with this stand-out.

‘Sempervivum x ciliosum’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum x ciliosum

• Size: Small, Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Green and Lime
• Secondary Color: Pink
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full sun and Filtered, Partial Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 3 inches to 4 inches

This one is for succulent lovers that want a fuzzy, frosted look. The leaves of these rosettes are lined with small hairs that give this species its fluffy appearance. While this is bound to turn heads, it also adds a softness to a traditionally structured and geometric plant, adding wonderful contrast to pots and beds containing other succulent varieties.

These frosty plants do not shy away from cold, growing best in USDA Zones 5-10. Surviving through snow and sunshine, this is one plant you don’t need to worry about across the seasons. As long as their soil is well-draining and they receive enough sun, they will continue to grow and spread year after year.

‘Terracotta Baby’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Terracotta Baby’

• Size: Medium ~8 inches in Height
• Primary Color: Deep Bronze and Red
• Secondary Color: Lime
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Large ~9 inches to 10 inches Spread

Sempervivum ‘Terracotta Baby’ has dramatic burgundy foliage that adds a moody feel to indoor and outdoor spaces. These leaves are elongated, curling tightly inwards to frame a bright green center.

This type also changes with the seasons like Golden Nugget, matching the mood of the season by deepening the burgundy color in winter and changing to a bright and fiery red in summer.

These colorful beauties are a great addition to winter gardens, adding a pop of color when other plants are dying down. When grown indoors, they need plenty of direct sunlight to maintain their stunning hue. These quick growers may need repotting often to accommodate their ever-expanding size, but don’t require much additional maintenance beyond that.

‘Windstille’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Windstille’

• Size: Small
• Primary Color: Bright Green in Winter
• Secondary Color: Light Orange in Spring, Orange Tips in Summer
• Bloom Color: Strong Pink
• Light Condition:
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 2 inches

For a more classic succulent look, you can’t go wrong with Windstille. The rosettes of this variety are incredibly compact and almost neon green, fading to an orangey-red at the tips.

When this succulent starts to flower in summer, the leaves take on more of that red hue to contrast with the pink blooms, creating a spectacle of color that looks completely different from the season prior.

The trick to flowering is high sunlight. That means you’ll struggle to get any Sempervivum to flower indoors unless it is given an incredibly sunny spot with at least 6 hours of direct sun. They don’t need additional fertilizers, but a balanced half or quarter-strength fertilizer just before the flowering season can improve your chances.

‘Raspberry Ice’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Raspberry Ice’

• Size: Medium to large, stays under 3 inches in height
• Primary Color: Grey or Silver
• Secondary Color: Burgundy and Red
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone:5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 5 inches to 6 inches

‘Raspberry Ice’ is certainly an apt name for this Sempervivum variety. The larger rosettes have stunning burgundy or deep purple edging, surrounded by fluffy hairs that give the plant its icy appearance.

Sticking low to the ground and spreading quickly, this variety makes a wonderful ground cover in the right conditions. Alternatively, stick them in large pots and remove the chicks each season to fill your home with these colorful succulents.

‘Ohio Burgundy’

Scientific Name: ‘Ohio Burgundy’

• Size: Under 3 inches in height
• Primary Color: Burgundy and Red
• Secondary Color: Lime and Green
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 3 inches to 4 inches

Staying in the deep burgundy category, ‘Ohio Burgundy’ ushers in the fall season by changing from bright summery green to a deep, dusty red. This color is complemented by the fine cilia that add a gentle velvety glow around the plant, without being as prominent and frosted as Raspberry Ice.

This well-established variety earned the Bronze Rosette Award in 1976, becoming a firm favorite in winter gardens. As long as they are not overwatered, they will also thrive when grown indoors.

‘Green Wheel’

Scientific Name: ‘Green Wheel’

• Size: Under 3 inches in height
• Primary Color: Bright Lime and Green
• Secondary Color: None
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 3 inches to 4 inches

Although a plain green Sempervivum may seem boring compared to the weird and wonderful colors out there, this variety is anything but. The almost luminous green leaves are incredibly eye-catching and appear in the densest clusters of any variety on this list.

While it’s not considered rare, ‘Green Wheel’ is not a particularly widespread variety. They may be tougher to find, but luckily don’t cost any more than the more common species out there.

‘Arctic White’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Arctic White’

• Size: Compact and about 4 inches in height
• Primary Color: White
• Secondary Color: Green
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 2 – 9
• Rosette Size: 6 inches

‘Arctic White’ is a true stunner. The strong root system is almost as impressive as the thick cobweb-like hairs all over the rosettes. This variety makes a great cover for larger containers or outdoor beds. The interesting shape and fine hairs stand out on their own but also work well with other softer succulents.

An early grower in wintertime, this variety is cold tolerant and will brighten your containers in winter before most of the others are ready to start growing.

‘Mrs Giuseppi’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Mrs Giuseppi’

• Size: 4 inches to 6 inches in height
• Primary Color:
• Secondary Color:
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 3 – 8
• Rosette Size: 1 foot to 2 feet

Mat-forming superstar, this variety has burgundy-red tips and truly looks like a flower on its own. ‘Mrs Giuseppi’ is also a very strong grower and survives wet cold winters better than most other varieties of Sempervivums.

If you need a plant to fill space, this is the one to look for. ‘Mrs Giuseppi’ has one of the largest rosette sizes, quickly filling up pots indoors and outdoor beds where nothing else seems to grow.

‘Brunneifolium’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum marmoreum ‘Brunneifolium’

• Size:  4 inches in height
• Primary Color: Pink
• Secondary Color: Chocolate Bronze
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Large, Up to 12 inches

If you love large triangular-shaped rosettes with a slight metallic rock-n-roll look, this is your variety.

Sempervivum marmoreum ‘Brunneifolium’ showcases an amazing array of metallic colors from a silvery pink to a chocolate bronze. In winter, deep rose colors emerge to give a darker tone to any pots, indoors or out. In spring and summer, the many hot pink stolons show off the new chicks perfectly.

‘Reinhard’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Reinhard’

• Size: Small, 4 inches in height
• Primary Color: Apple Green Rosette
• Secondary Color: Deep Royal Purple
• Bloom Color: Light Pink
• Light Condition: Partial Shade to Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Large Spread, 6 inches to 12 inches

If you love spooky gardens and plants that give off Halloween energy, look no further than ‘Reinhard’.

This Sempervivum has a bright green center with dark purple, almost black tips, a color that very few plants feature. Place them in a pot with other green succulents (and maybe a pop of orange from Golden Nugget) for a fall holiday display.

‘Purple Dazzler’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Purple Dazzler’

• Size: 5 inches in height
• Primary Color: Mid-Green
• Secondary Color: Dark Royal Purple
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9
• Rosette Size: Around 12 inches in spread

Reverse the colors of Reinhard and you’ll have another colorful favorite (evident in the name) – ‘Purple Dazzler’. This variety starts out a deep purple at the base and fades to green at the ends, separating it from the other options on this list.

The reversed colors make ‘Purple Dazzler’ a great companion for other deep purple types. The green tips will add an extra pop of color, with the long leaves extending past and above more compact types.

‘Corsair’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Corsair’

• Size: Small
• Primary Color: Light Green in the center
• Secondary Color: Rosy red to pink
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun/ Part Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10
• Rosette Size: Small

‘Corsair’ is another color-changing beauty with vibrant reds that appear at the start of spring. This red emerges at the center while the outer leaves remain green, changing to completely red when the weather warms in summer and as the plant ages.

What makes these plants even more interesting are the tiny hairs that line the leaves. In summer, when given enough sunlight, pink or pale yellow flowers will pop up high above the rosettes on long stems.

‘Eddy’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Eddy’

• Size: Around 4 inches in height
• Primary Color: Bronze
• Secondary Color: Green
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Hardiness Zone: 4 – 10
• Rosette Size: Around 12 inches in spread

This cute and compact variety sports a gorgeous burgundy bronze color that is bound to turn heads. Originally from the Czech Republic, Eddy can withstand cold temperatures down to Zone 4, adding pops of color during gloomy and icy winters.

The tight rosettes look wonderful in pots, as long as there is plenty of drainage. To avoid rotting, ensure there are holes in the bottom of the pot and that the potting mix is amended with sand or perlite.

‘Fashion Diva’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Fashion Diva’

• Size: Small
• Primary Color: Kiwi Green Center with Bright Red
• Secondary Color: Deep Mauve
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun to Partial Shade
• Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9
• Rosette Size: 4 inches

A traceable history hybrid, ‘Fashion Diva’ actually originated in the United States, produced by Kevin C. Vaughn. This hybrid also goes by the apt name ‘Strawberry Kiwi’ and has wavy lines of wax to help it tolerate direct sunlight without damage.

Recently produced, this variety might be tougher to find. Luckily, you only need one to grow many more as they spread rapidly. Avoid saving the seeds as a method of propagation as they won’t grow true to seed.

‘Magnificum’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Magnificum’

• Size: Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Pink
• Secondary Color: Blue to Blue-Green and Red to Burgundy
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 5 inches to 6 inches

‘Magnificum’ has dense rosettes with several dusty purple leaves that perfectly complement the touches of green. The leaves of this type are wider than others, giving the plant a softer but still geometric appearance.

Like all Sempervivums, the main plant will die off soon after flowering. However, this should be no cause for alarm, as the chicks surrounding the plant will continue to grow and spread. Once you’ve purchased one, you’ll be gifted with an endless supply.

‘Cobweb Houseleek’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum arachnoideum ‘Cobweb Houseleek’

• Size: 3 inches
• Primary Color: Green
• Secondary Color: White
• Bloom Color: Pink and Rarely Pale Yellow
• Light Condition: Full sun to Partial Shade
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 8
• Rosette Size: 1 inch to 1.5 inches

This hybrid forms a mat of tight rosettes that are green or reddish leaves with their trademark white cobweb-like hairs. The hairs are located at the very tip of the leaves and can look stunning alone in a pot.

The species name translates literally to “always alive spider web”. This hybrid is also a very fast grower – perfect for the impatient gardener.

‘Chocolate Kiss’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Chocolate Kiss’

• Size: Under 3 inches in height
• Primary Color: Deep Burgundy Brown
• Secondary Color: Pink
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Rosette Size: 5 inches to 6 inches

The deepest burgundy of all the Sempervivums, this stunner has massive leaves in even bigger rosettes that are the perfect addition to any rock garden. They can be slightly pricier than some other types, but not by much.

Plus, the unique color is well worth the extra few dollars. This succulent can also grow in conditions with less light than other verities on this list.

‘Cotton Candy’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Cotton Candy’

• Size: Under 3 inches in height
• Primary Color: Lime Green
• Secondary Color: White
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Under 3 inches

This variety is unlike some of the others due to the cute tidy clump it creates after offsets are formed in the springtime. This is a webbed variety with heavy webbing contrasting a beautiful green and red formation of leaves. This variety is also known as S. arachnoideum ‘Emily’ (van der Steen) and is one of the larger varieties of S. arachnoideum.

‘Cosmic Candy’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Cosmic Candy’

• Size: 2 inches in height
• Primary Color: Bright Red
• Secondary Color: Green Chicks
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Full Sun, Part Shade
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Rosette Size: 12 inches

The bold bright red color is not the only feature that makes this cultivar a showstopper. This Sempervivum forms small rosettes in spring and into summer with a little bit of cob-web added on to the center. When planted in a container, they form a mass of deep purple foliage with contrasting webbing that adds continual interest.

Unfortunately, this unique formation does come at a higher price. Cosmic Candy is one of the rarer Sempervivums, with one specimen costing around 5 times that of a common variety. But, once you fall in love with them, there is certainly no going back.

‘Cinnamon Starburst’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Cinnamon Starburst’

• Size: Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Lime Green
• Secondary Color: Red Burgundy with a Copper Sheen
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Under 3 inches

This variety is another with a second name: Sempervivum ‘Jeanne d’Arc’. The first name, however, comes from the cinnamon tint to the tips of the leaves. Showcasing light, cottony webbing on the leaf tips, this cultivar will produce many new offsets each spring.

To make it even more low-maintenance, this variety experiences few problems with pests and diseases. The biggest concern is root rot, which can largely be avoided by good drainage and correct watering.

Sempervivum globiferum ssp. allionii

Scientific Name: Sempervivum globiferum ssp. allionii

• Size: Under 3 Inches in Height
• Primary Color: Lime Green
• Secondary Color: Red Burgundy
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 3 inches to 4 inches

The globe-like shape, described in the specific epithet, adds an interesting dimension to this species. This variety is considered a ‘roller’, producing round offsets that roll away from the mother plant to put down roots in the soil.

It remains lime green most of the time, but can develop a deep red color at the tips.

‘Hedgehog’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum globiferum ssp. hirtum ‘Hedgehog’

• Size: Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Bright Lime Green
• Secondary Color: Red Burgundy
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: Under 3 inches

‘Hedgehog’ is one of the largest varieties of rollers, sporting spiky leaves with a dash of red at the very tips. The chicks push up from the center of the plant as they form and almost look like tiny Proteas due to the interesting coloring.

This variety can also be tougher to find, but is no more difficult to care for than any other Sempervivum. Give them plenty of sunlight, sandy soil and enough space to spread and they will take over a bed or pot in no time.

‘Black’

Scientific Name: Sempervivum ‘Black’

• Size: Under 3 inches
• Primary Color: Purple to Black
• Secondary Color: Bright Lime Green
• Bloom Color: Yellow
• Light Condition: Filtered/Partial Sun, Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5 – 10
• Rosette Size: 5 inches to 6 inches

Winter time brings on the gorgeous coloration of purple-black of this variety. In spring the lime green heart with rusty red shading comes out to show this plant’s lighter side.

Not many dark-colored plants are pet safe, so this one is a great option for a Gothic feel for gardeners with curious-pawed pets.

Sempervivum pumilum f/ Armchi

Scientific Name: Sempervivum pumilum f/ Armchi

• Size: Small
• Primary Color: Green and Lime
• Secondary Color: Pink
• Bloom Color: Pink
• Light Condition: Filtered Partial Sun/ Full Sun
• Hardiness Zone: 5-10
• Rosette Size: Under 3 inches

This variety has classic green rosettes that gain a touch of pink in springtime. The rosettes are small, with centers lined with webbing that join the leaves together. Plant this variety in combination with larger plants in a pot, or give them their own small container to stand out on their own.