• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Open Every Day, Monday-Sunday, 9am-6pm
  • 713-861-5702
  • Location

Buchanan's Native PlantsBuchanan's Native Plants

Houston's favorite garden center devoted to Texas native plants and organic gardening.

Hide Search
Buchanan's Logo
  • Plants
        • Gift Card
        • Spread the love of gardening with your friends and family. Purchase a Buchanan’s gift card here!

        • Plants Overview
        • Annuals
        • Cacti and Succulents
        • Citrus and Fruit
        • Herbs and Vegetables
        • House Plants
        • Perennials
        • Roses
        • Shrubs
        • Texas Natives
        • Trees
        • Vines
  • Lawn and Garden
        • Outdoor garden with pergola
        • Dedicated to native plants and organic gardening,  we are experienced in helping customers create a lovely outdoor setting with the best quality native plants and environmentally safe organic products available today.

        • Lawn and Garden
        • Soils, Mulch and Amendments
        • Fertilizer
        • Garden Tools and Accessories
        • Pest, Weed and Fungus control
        • Birding
  • House and Home
        • Spartina Blue 2023
        • From entryways to vase fillers, we’ve curated a selection of unique home decor, and fashion items from around the world.  We believe your home should be as beautiful as your garden and with Buchanan’s — it’s easy for your style to blossom.

        • Boutique

        • House and Home
        • Fashion and Fragrance
        • Indoor Gardening
        • Kids
        • Purchase a gift card
        • Outdoor Living

        • Fountains
        • Outdoor Decor
        • Pottery
  • Shop Online
    • Purchase plants
    • Purchase a gift card
    • Gift Card Ordering Information
  • Resources
        • A Buchanan's Plants associate holds a bag of seeds
        • Tips and Resources

          Resources to help you create the garden of your dreams. From how-to videos, monthly tips, and a comprehensive plant library – explore what Buchanan’s has to offer.

        • Gardening Articles
        • Gardening Calendar
        • Gardening Guides
        • Gardeners’ Rewards
        • Helpful Resources
        • How to Videos
        • Plant Library
        • Soil and Mulch Calculator
  • News
    • This Week at Buchanan’s
    • Events, Seminars, and Workshops
  • About
        • Buchanan’s Native Plants has been serving Houston gardeners since 1986. Located in the historic Houston Heights, the garden center is dedicated to native plants and organic gardening.  You will find the best selections of hardy natives as well as perennials, herbs, vegetables, trees, shrubs & roses — all suited to the Houston climate.

        • About Us
          • Buchanan’s History
        • Our Team
        • Careers
        • Donation Request
        • FAQ
        • Contact Us
  • Show Search
Home » Plant Library » Succulents and Cacti » Red Heart Hens And Chicks
Red Heart Hens And Chicks | Sempervivum 'Red Heart'

Red Heart Hens And Chicks

Botanical name: Sempervivum ‘Red Heart’

Red Heart Hens And Chicks’s attractive succulent pointy leaves emerge grayish green in spring, turning light green in color with prominent indian red tips throughout the season. It features unusual clusters of pink star-shaped flowers with burgundy bracts rising above the foliage in mid summer. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The brick red stems can be quite attractive..

Other names: House Leek

  • Characteristics
  • Features and Attributes
  • Planting and Growing

Characteristics

Hardiness zone 3a
Flower color pink
Foliage type deciduous *
Plant form over mound
Mature height 3 inches (12 inches with the flowers)
Spread 12 inches
Light requirements

full sun

Moisture requirements

dry to average

Plant origin hybrid

* deciduous = loses leaves in winter

Ornamental Features

Red Heart Hens And Chicks's attractive succulent pointy leaves emerge grayish green in spring, turning light green in color with prominent indian red tips throughout the season. It features unusual clusters of pink star-shaped flowers with burgundy bracts rising above the foliage in mid summer. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Red Heart Hens And Chicks is a dense herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Spreading

Red Heart Hens And Chicks is recommended for the following landscape applications;

Rock/Alpine Gardens, Border Edging, General Garden Use, Container Planting

Planting and Growing

Red Heart Hens And Chicks will grow to be only 3 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Red Heart Hens And Chicks is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Tips

Our Monthly To-Do List For Your Garden

This month
Woman Holding A Box With Herbs In Her Hands

Store Address and Hours

Buchanan’s Native Plants
611 East 11th Street
Houston, Texas 77008

713-861-5702

Hours: 9 am – 6 pm
Open Every Day – Monday – Sunday

Stay in touch

Receive our weekly newsletter containing the latest specials, up-coming events and seminars.

* indicates required

NEW! Receive special offers, updates, content, and more via text!

Join our Mobile Text Club!

Connect on Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Tiktok
  • YouTube

We love your garden®

Copyright © 1999 - 2025 Buchanan's Native Plants, All Rights Reserved.

  • Return Policy
  • Privacy Policy