Sempervivum
How to keep Hens & Chicks alive and multiplying
How to plant, water and winter Hens & Chicks: drainage, light, what arrives in the box, the hardiness band, and common questions.
Sempervivum are the plants we built this nursery around. They are genuinely hard to kill, but they do have opinions — mostly about drainage and light. These notes come from our own plant listings and the questions we get asked most.
Planting
- Use well-draining soil. Standing water in winter is what actually kills them.
- Full sun gives the best colour; they tolerate less light but stretch and fade.
- Water when the soil is dry — not on a schedule.
- Plant in clusters rather than singly. They are meant to spread, and a cluster fills in far faster than spaced-out rosettes.
- They thrive in the ground, in outdoor containers, in rock gardens, in well-drained open fairy dish gardens, and as event favours. Avoid closed humid terrariums: Sempervivum require free air circulation and dry soil between waterings; trapped humidity causes succulent rot.
Why your winter order looks darker
Colour shifts with the season. In spring and summer the rosettes open up and brighten. In autumn and winter they close tight and darken into burgundy, bronze and purple — that is the plant going dormant, not dying. It will brighten again with sunlight and warmth. Orders placed in winter often arrive looking darker than the listing photo.
What actually shows up in the box
- Plugs — Young starter plants roughly the size of a dime to a quarter, shipped in plug trays and unpotted. Plant them on arrival — they root quickly.
- Potted plants — Rooted and ready to go straight into a container or the ground, usually in 3-inch or 4-inch pots.
- Grower's Choice — An assorted mix we pick by hand. You get a genuinely varied set of colours, textures and varieties rather than a single repeat.
Reading the hardiness band
Every plant page shows a hardiness band: USDA zones laid out coldest to warmest, with the range we publish lit up in green. If your zone falls inside it, the plant is rated cold-hardy for your average winter temperatures. Actual winter survival also requires sharp soil drainage, adequate sun exposure, and root establishment before freezing temperatures.
Not every listing publishes a range — the band will be empty and say so, because we would rather show nothing than guess. You can filter the whole catalog by zone from the shop page.
Timing
Orders are processed and shipped within one to three business days and travel by USPS. For weddings, favours and events, order one to two weeks ahead so the rosettes have time to colour up and open.
Common questions
Can I order succulents online?
Yes. The whole collection is orderable here and ships nationwide.
Do you ship nationwide?
Yes — nationwide, by USPS, from Post Falls, Idaho.
What makes Chick Charms® different?
They are Sempervivum cultivars evaluated by horticulturist Chris Hansen and selected for cold hardiness, garden vigour, year-round colour, summer root-rot resistance and prolific chick production.
Can I mix varieties in one order?
Yes. Assorted packs are Grower's Choice, and you can mix any plants in a single order.
What if a plant arrives damaged?
Contact us straight away with photos of the damage to the plants and the box, including the shipping label, so we can report it to USPS and put it right.
Do you do gift orders?
Succulents are a popular gift and gift wrapping with a personalised message is available.