House-leek
House-leek on a wall, Lancaster
Flower from avove
Flower from side
Flower stem
Fleshy leaves
Greener leaves and looser flower
Sempervivum tectorum
Crassulaceae
"Welcome home husband, however drunk you are".
June to July
It is scattered throughout the country.
See the BSBI distribution map for House-leek
It is a neophyte which has been grown in UK gardens since
the 13th century and known in the wild since the 1620s.
It is both planted and a naturalised escape on tiled and
thatched roofs, old walls, and in churchyards.
When growing on roofs it has been traditionally thought
to protect from fire and lightening
It is also an escape on stabilised sand dunes.
House-leek is a long-lived, fleshy leaved, colony-forming,
evergreen perennial herb. The leaves form low growing
rosettes with flowering stems up to 60cm, but usually
much shorter.
Flowers are 2 to 3cm with 8 to 18 (usually 12) dull red,
pink or purple, lanceolate petals.
There are twice as many stamens as petals.
There are numerous green carpels and styles in the
middle of the flower.
Leaves are fleshy, red-brown and green, in rosettes
up to 14cm.
Previous page: Honeywort
Next page: Hybrid Selfheal
House-leek on a wall, Lancaster
Flower from avove
Flower from side
Flower stem
Fleshy leaves
Greener leaves and looser flower
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