Hens and Chicks
Gone to flower the end is near. Blooming is the last hurrah for these Sempervivums. It’s a time of joy and sorrow when they reach upwards with a spike of beauty. Appreciate them while you can, soon the old hens will shrivel and dry because flowering is the final stage of their life.
There was no marker in life and there will be none after after they’ve passed away either. Their true identity was never known and were only called Hens and Chicks by those who seen them.
I was surprised to see this turn into a death bed two years in a row. Seeing Hens and Chicks flowering is not a common sight for me. In all the years I’ve gardened I believe I can count the times I’ve seen Sempervivums bloom on one hand. Why this group has flowered 2 years in a row is a mystery to me. Perhaps it’s the variety, maybe the location or even something in the air. Who knows. But the one thing I am certain of is I want to see this every year.
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July 1st, 2009 at 9:05 am
The flowers are really, really cool, though!
Yucca are the same; they die after blooming and blooms come from new rosettes.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:33 am
It is sorry and sad to mention the end of life. Nobody can avoid, human or others. But we are beautiful, anyway, before that.
July 1st, 2009 at 11:38 am
Nice ! I’ve also seen them bloom before but mine still haven’t, after 6 or 7 years now.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Very pretty and nicer then the fly from yesterday(-: At least when they die the babies grow up and bloom(-: I have a lot of Semps and some are blooming here too.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Look around and you might find chicklets. My hen and chick flowers dropped seed last fall and there are a few baby rosettes maybe an eighth of an inch across, pale green and slightly furry. Can you say purr?
July 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
By coincidence, I was thinking of the word “monocarpic” (a plant that blooms only once in its lifetime) only an hour ago. And here they are. The semper(untiltheybloom)vivum flowers are very pretty though; shooting upward like floral fireworks.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I don’t believe I ever seen hen and chicks in bloom like that,
Coffee is on.
July 1st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I have never seen them bloom. And did not know they wood. The are beautiful.
July 5th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
They’re so cool, even if they bloom in their death throes! I’m seeing a couple of columns coming up in some of my semps too, so getting prepared for the funeral procession….
July 7th, 2009 at 8:41 am
I have a dark burgundy variety named “Othello”. They’ve never bloomed, so I’m anxious to see what color the blooms will be.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I knew they bloomed but here in ND I hve never heard or seen it until now. I have 2 in different spots that are about to bloom. I am so excited I can’t hardly wait. I will be taking pics of these. Gorgeous.
August 4th, 2009 at 7:17 am
I have had my hens and chicks for over 10 years. I moved the pot they were in this year. They have 3 spikes of flowers. Each spike has little spikes at the end with 30 flowers on each of them. I can’t wait for them to open. But I will be sad when the mother dies. But I will take pictures.