Sempervivum Tectorum

Sempervivum tectorum is a hardy, evergreen succulent perennial known by many names, including Common Houseleek, Jove's Beard, Jupiter's Eye, Thor's Beard, St. George's Beard, and the quirky Welcome-home-husband-though-never-so-drunk — a name it sometimes shares with Sedum acre. It’s often generically referred to as a type of sedum or stonecrop.

Botanical Description

This resilient plant forms attractive, tight rosettes of fleshy, evergreen leaves, which can range in color from green and red to purple and yellow depending on the variety. In summer, it produces star-shaped flowers in shades of purple, red, or pink atop branched, erect stalks. Typically, flowers grow in groups of 8–16.

Parts Used: Fresh leaves.

Size: Basal rosettes measure about 4–10 cm in diameter.

Leaves: Sessile, succulent, and often edged with soft hairs (cilia), which help retain moisture.

Flowers: Star-shaped, varying in color, appearing in summer.

Traditional and Medicinal Uses

Historically valued in European folk medicine and planted on roofs to protect homes from lightning strikes, Sempervivum tectorum also carries several medicinal benefits:

• Skin conditions: Applied to treat burns, wounds, inflammations, insect stings, and ringworm.

• Viral infections: Traditionally used for conditions like herpes, shingles (zoster), and warts.

• Cancer care: Mentioned in herbal traditions for addressing mammary carcinoma and scirrhous induration (hardening) of the tongue.

• Hemorrhoids: Soothing properties make it beneficial in relieving hemorrhoids.

Interesting Facts

• It’s one of the plants famously described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.

• Highly variable due to extensive cultivation — hundreds of cultivars have been developed over the past two centuries.

• The name tectorum means “of house roofs” in Latin, reflecting its traditional use planted on rooftops.