If you are in search of a succulent that will bring colorful interest to your garden, and at the same time, almost task-free when it comes to maintenance, then Sempervivum Red Lion is the succulent for you!
Furthermore, Sempervivum Red Lion is perfect for growing in bricks, driftwood, or even in tufa rock. And with its ability to thrive under cold temperatures, this succulent will surely give you a very fun gardening experience.
Not convinced yet? Read more to learn more!
Description
Native to rocky habitats in mountainous regions, Sempervivum Red Lion, or also known as Hens and Chicks Red Lion grow is a succulent that forms a beautiful rosette of deep red with green or yellow shaded tips rosettes that can grow up to 6-inches tall and 12-inches wide. It can tolerate extreme temperatures and drought and is capable of producing a lot of new "chicks" around its base, which can easily be removed and shared with any of your family and friends.
General Care Guide
1. Light Exposure
Sempervivum Red Lion is a succulent that can be enjoyed growing both indoors and outdoors, as long as it gets plenty of light as possible, especially during the winter months (about 3 to 4 hours of full to partial sunlight a day). So if you plan to grow this wonderful succulent outdoors, make sure to place it in a spot where it can get a lot of light as possible, like a sunny balcony or patio in summer, or near a sunny windowsill if it's grown indoors.
In case your place doesn't get much natural light, then you may also consider using a grow light to supplement your Sempervivum Red Lion lighting needs daily.
2. Proper Watering Routine
Like most succulents, the most common cause of a dying Sempervivum Red Lion is due to overwatering, so be mindful whenever you water this plant. To give you an idea, this succulent would need a good soak of water (until the water flows down the pot's drainage hole) at least once a week, especially in the hot summer months. During the Winter season, on the other hand, your watering routine should be reduced to once a month or just don’t water at all, especially if the temperature around your area tends to drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or else, you'll risk it getting root rot.
To make it simpler, a good rule of thumb for you to follow is not to water at all when the soil is damp. Instead, you should wait until the top 2 to 3-inches of your Sempervivum Red Lion's soil feels completely dry before giving it a good drink of water. You can use either a moisture meter or by sticking your index finger into the soil to check.
Another way to determine if it's already time to water your Red Lion is through its leaves. If you see that they appear crispy, wrinkled, or bend more than usual. If the leaves look swollen and mushy, then they are mostly already drowning from too much water, so better hold off with your watering can and wait for its soil to dry out completely before giving it a good drink.
Read here for more watering tips.
3. Ideal Temperature
Although cold temperatures rarely damage or kill Sempervivum Red Lion, as it can endure extreme temperature for as low as 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, for best result and proper development, it is advisable to keep this plant in a place where the temperature stays between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 to 24 Celcius.
4. Soil Requirements
Sempervivum Red Lion also hates sitting in the wet for too long and therefore would need good drainage to keep it thriving. With that in mind, you need to make sure to plant them in a container using a porous and well-draining potting medium, like a cactus or succulent soil mix, or simply blend one yourself by mixing 80 to 90 percent sand or pumice with 10 to 20 percent compost or general-purpose potting soil. You can also top it off with some decorative rocks, gravel, or glass beads, as this will help gather heat and, as well as, fill in empty spaces until the plant grows so your container will look better.
As for Red Lions planted in the ground, you may add compost, potting soil, gravel, or vermiculite to promote better drainage.
Propagating Sempervivum Red Lion
The best and easiest method to propagate Sempervivum Red Lion is through offset. Follow the step-by-step guide below on how to do this.
Step 1: Fill a pot or container with porous and well-draining soil. You can either buy a cactus or succulent soil mix from the nearest local store near you or just blend your own soil mix.
Step 2: Mix in half a teaspoon of dry general-purpose fertilizer for every 1 to 2 cups of soil mix. Make sure to measure carefully, as too much fertilizer may burn the roots of the plants.
Step 3: Once done, water the potting medium and set the pot aside to let it drain until the soil is slightly damp.
Step 4: While waiting, you can now carefully pull an offset or chick from the base of the parent plant.
Step 5: Once you have successfully removed the offset, plant it in the container you prepared earlier by pressing it gently into the potting medium.
Once you are done, place the container in a warm room where it can get bright but indirect sunlight. And remember to water generously until it flows down the drainage hole whenever the soil feels dry.
Blooming of Sempervivum Red Lion
During summer, you might notice that the center of one of your mature Sempervivum Red Lions starts growing upwards until it turns into a flower stalk. Once you see this happening to your Red Lion, it only means that it's the beginning of the end. Why?
Though the flower of Sempervivum Red Lion is very pretty, like some Agaves and Tillandsias or also known as Air Plants, this succulent is a monocarpic plant. Meaning, you will see each of your Red Lion produce flowers only once, as it dies after blooming.
Luckily, there's a way to temporarily stop the blooming process. You can do this by separating the developing bloom stalk (low-lying layers of leaves at the base of the rosette) from the plant. Do this by scooping it out from the rosette using a clean, sharp knife.
However, keep in mind that this procedure would only work if you were able to remove the bloom stalk from the plant as soon as its center starts to close in and elongate. Also, once the bloom stalk has been removed, the plant will not go back to its perfectly symmetrical look. Instead, it will produce more offsets for you to transplant and care for.
See more about How To Make My Succulents Turn Red
For Types of Succulents Careguide. Read more information here.
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