Autumn Apple Houseleek

Autumn Apple Houseleek (Sempervivum 'Autumn Apple') is a low, neat rosette succulent only 5cm to 7cm high that spreads to about 30cm wide as it makes offsets. The rosettes are a deep apple green, each pointed leaf tipped and outlined in burgundy-red, and the colours change through the year. It grows in the toughest spots with almost no looking after, and it is rock solid cold hardy.

Why you'll love it

• Green with a wine-red edge. Deep apple green leaves, each tipped and outlined in burgundy-red, give a crisp, tailored look.
• A colony in the making. Rosettes make offsets that spread to about 30cm across, so one plant becomes a low mat of little roses.
• Seasonal colour. The shading changes through the year, so the plant earns attention in every season.
• Cold hardy and drought tolerant. It is rock solid cold hardy and drought tolerant once established.
• Grows on very little. Houseleeks are known for growing in the toughest places on the slightest moisture, even on a stone or tile.

Where it works best

Green roofs and rockeries. Plant 20cm apart so the colonies can meet. At 5cm to 7cm high, it sits flat among stones without shading its neighbours.

Pots and troughs. Shallow containers of gritty mix show off the pattern of the rosettes. Pair it with a darker houseleek for contrast.

Waterwise gardens and indoors. A sunny border, a hot courtyard or a bright windowsill all suit it.

Growing Autumn Apple Houseleek in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the strongest leaf colour and the healthiest roots. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and dry inland gardens. In humid, wet-summer climates, a raised bed, a rock wall or a pot keeps the rosettes dry.

Soil. Gritty, free-draining soil. Mix coarse sand or fine gravel through any heavy ground.

Water and feed. Go lightly. Do not overwater, and in summer heatwaves water around the rosettes, not into them. Established plants rarely need extra.

Pruning. Carefully pull off dead old leaves. Remove pups and pot them on, or leave them in place to create a ground-covering colony.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Autumn Apple Houseleek as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. It arrives as a small, tidy rosette, and it needs a couple of seasons to spread into a colony. Plant it out in gritty soil or a pot soon after delivery and water it in lightly.

Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. If the grower has none, the tube shows as sold out, and the notify button on the page will email you the day it returns.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Succulent range
• Plants for rockeries
• Plants for pots
• Waterwise garden guide

Common questions

What does houseleek mean?

Houseleeks are so named because they grow on the roofs of houses, on almost no soil. Sempervivum itself means ever living.

Will the rosette die after flowering?

A rosette that flowers does die afterwards, but its pups carry on, so the colony continues. Remove the spent rosette once it has finished.

How wide will it spread?

To about 30cm across over time, as pups form around the main rosette and join together.