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by Sam
(Tallahassee, Fl)

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My wife recently got hooked on growing succulents, she harvested some of the chicks from around the hen.

The next day, the hen dropped the bottom leaves down over the rest of the chicks. And has kept them there ever since.

Have you ever heard of this or seen it happen?

Hi Sam, congratulations on discovering one of my favorite plants! Sempervivum do tend to do this, particularly in the spring time.

There are a couple of reasons for it, that I can see; first of all, if the soil is too wet, the bottom leaves lever the caudex out of the soil. The caudex is the thick part of the root, which over time becomes thicker and heavier.

Other reasons for it could be that it’s not getting enough light. These plants resent being kept in dim conditions; they originate high on mountain tops, where they get intense high ultraviolet light where the air is thin.

You can see more questions and answers about this phenomenon here: Droopy Drawers Sempervivum

Hope that helps!
Jacki