Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Hens and chicks (Sempervivum tectorum)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Hens and chicks, Common houseleek, Houseleek, Roof houseleek, Liveforever.

More about hens and chicks

About Hens and chicks

Sempervivum tectorum · also called Hens and chicks, Common houseleek · houseplant

Hens and chicks is a hardy alpine succulent that forms tight rosettes (the "hen") ringed by offset pups (the "chicks"). Its one non-negotiable need is sharp drainage: it stores water in its fleshy leaves and rots quickly in soggy compost, so treat it lean, sunny and on the dry side.

Cold limit: USDA 3-8 · RHS H7 (18-27°C)

Watch for — Crown and root rot: Caused by overwatering or poor drainage, especially in winter wet. Rosettes go soft, mushy and brown at the base. Use gritty compost, water only when bone dry, and shelter outdoor plants from persistent winter rain.

What hens and chicks's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — hens and chicks is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-8 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Hens and chicks is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for hens and chicks as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can hens and chicks go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when hens and chicks can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Hens and chicks hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is hens and chicks cold hardy?

Yes — hens and chicks is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Hens and chicks is hardy across USDA 3-8; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature hens and chicks can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Hens and chicks is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is hens and chicks?

Hens and chicks is rated USDA 3-8 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can hens and chicks survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3-8 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to hens and chicks below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.