Project Description
Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Irene’
“Job’s Beard” or “Houseleek”
These evergreen monocarpic Sempervivums grow in beautiful, deep red clusters and have touches of green on the edges. Its thick leaves sustain it through long periods of drought.
They are also deer resistant, so planting them beside other prized plants can help deter them from being eaten.
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Quick Look:
Full sun to partial shade
Grows best outdoors
Typical watering needs for a succulent. Be careful not to over-water!
Rosettes grow up to 4″ (10 cm)
Plant can grow to 3″ (7.5 cm) tall
Zone 4a (Minimum -30° F | -34° C)
Winter Hardy
Propagation by cutting. Use a sharp, sterile knife to separate clumps
Generally considered non-toxic to humans and animals
Winter Dormant
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Care and Propagation Information
General Care for Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Irene’
‘Irene’ is a very easy succulent to care for, which makes it perfect for beginners. Once the roots are established, it is very forgiving if neglected, but be careful not to over-water!
Cold Hardy
Just like other Sempervivums, ‘Irene’ is cold hardy and the leaves are evergreen. However, it won’t lose its color, giving it character all year-round.
Flowering
‘Irene’ is monocarpic, meaning that after it flowers, the mother plant will die. Before that happens, you can expect up to 40 yellowish-white flowers that bloom in the summer.
Don’t let this discourage you from growing this amazing plant, though! It can take three to four years for a mature plant to bloom, and in that time, it will have put off many “chicks.”
Watering
Sempervivums are quite sensitive to over-watering, and ‘Irene’ is no different. It’s best to err on the side of caution (under-water) than “love” this plant a bit too much (over-water).
Planting
‘Irene’ does best when it receives full sun to partial shade. Plant in well-draining soil, either in the garden (where it will not receive too much water from rain or sprinklers) or in a container.
How to Propagate Sempervivum heuffelii ‘Irene’
‘Irene’ is easily propagated, but is done a little differently than other Sempervivums.
Using a sterile knife or sharp pair of scissors, separate clumps to be propagated from main plant cluster. You’ll want to get some of the roots with the stem if at all possible. This will help the plant root faster.
Allow cuttings to callous over for several days before replanting in either the ground or well-draining succulent soil.
Irene’s Interesting History
Pairs Well With
Irene grows well with Sempervivum arachoideum ‘Sultan’
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Hello,
We have a succulent that was left behind when my friend’s parents passed away. His Mother told me that she had it for years, and it had survived cold winters, and hot summers with little to none maintenance. I believe it is a Sempervivum Heuffelii ‘Irene’, from what I can tell by some of the identification charts online, but I’m not sure. We live in the Northwest Pennsylvania. Yesterday early evening I was outside filling the bird feeders and I noticed that something had ripped some of the plants off from the mound of layers, and out of the pot that the plant sits in. I’m not sure what kind of animal could, or would want to bother it, since it’s never happened before, and I didn’t realize it was even appetizing to eat. I’m assuming that since it’s been like the antarctic lately, that whatever ripped into it just must have been very hungry. I picked up what was left scattered around the plant, and wasn’t sure if I should just place them back in the pot in hopes that they would survive, or not. So, I brought them inside and thought I would plant them in some pots with some organic potting soil. They’re either dormant, or dead, because they seem very dry. There are roots still attached, and I think what they’re called is ‘chicks’ are also intact. My question is do you think they will survive if I plant them in pots, and keep them inside until Spring/Summer? Should I cut back the roots, and wait for them to reroot again? Or should I just put them back in the original pot they were ripped out of, with maybe some more soil added to cover the roots? As of now, they’re just sitting here on my desk in a bowl with no soil, and have been for about 13 hours now. Maybe it’s too late now, since it’s been so long? A green thumb, I have not.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.
Best Regards,
Darla Scott
Hi Darla!
If the roots are still intact, it sounds like it can still be saved 🙂 You’ve done the right thing by leaving it out of soil – you’ll want to let the roots rest for a bit before replanting. You can replant in well-draining soil – organic potting soil isn’t well draining enough, and can cause water to collect around the roots and make them rot.
‘Irene’ grows best outdoors, but if you’re concerned that it will keep being uprooted and possibly eaten, you can grow it indoors if it has plenty of light. Water using the “soak and dry” method, but it won’t need as much water since it grows more actively in the summer.
You can also plant the “chicks” in their own pots.
If you want to plant them back outside, they’ll be fine out there. It’s hard to say what could dig them up and disrupt them, but like you said, it could be something hungry. You may try posting in our Facebook Group to see if anyone has any ideas of ways they’ve kept animals away from their Sempervivum. Good luck!
Thank you! Your quick response was very much appreciated.
Could you please tell me how long they need to rest before replanting, and should they be in the sunlight while resting? Also, what do you recommend for a “well-draining soil”? I always thought that as long as there were small stones at the bottom of a pot, that it would make it drain well? Would it work as a well-draining soil if I was to mix small pebbles thru out the soil, instead of just on the bottom?
Once again, thank you so much for your help.
Have a great day!
Best Regards,
Darla Scott
You don’t need to leave them in full sun right now, but they do appreciate good light. Let them rest for a day or two before planting again.
Unfortunately, adding rocks to the bottom of your soil doesn’t do much to help succulents drain. They have shallow roots, so this is a common misconception. Check out this page for information on soil, as well as some recipes you can make yourself 🙂