Mint Marvel Houseleek

Mint Marvel Houseleek (Sempervivum 'Mint Marvel') is a tiny rosette succulent that stays 5 to 7cm high and spreads to about 30cm wide as it offsets into a colony. Each pointed rosette is mint-sage green with a deep maroon-red tip on every leaf, and the colour shifts through the year. It is the plant for places where more delicate things struggle: gritty ground, full sun, shallow pots and exposed rooftops.

Why you'll love it

• Colour packed into a small plant. Mint-sage leaves with maroon-red tips give each rosette a crisp two-tone look, and the shades shift through the year.
• Tough in cold and drought. Houseleeks are among the most cold hardy succulents, and this one needs very little water once established.
• It makes more of itself. Small pups form around the parent rosette. Leave them to build a colony, or pot them on for free plants.
• Fits awkward spaces. Shallow bowls, rock crevices, green roofs and balconies suit a plant this low, and the only chore is pulling off dead old leaves.

Where it works best

Rockeries and gravel gardens. Plant 20cm apart in pockets of gritty soil. Each plant reaches about 30cm across, so the pups fill the gaps in a season or two.

Pots, troughs and green roofs. A shallow container of gritty mix is ideal, and the low profile suits roof gardens and balcony planters where soil is thin.

Waterwise beds and bright windowsills. It sits well among other waterwise plants. Indoors it needs your brightest sill, because colour and shape fade in dim light.

Growing Mint Marvel Houseleek in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the best leaf colour and the healthiest roots. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid climates and is very cold hardy. In humid, wet-summer areas such as the subtropical coast, summer rain is the real danger, so grow it in a pot or a raised gritty bed where it stays drier.

Soil. Free-draining and gritty. For pots, mix about half cactus and succulent mix with half coarse sand or fine gravel. In the garden, mound the soil or add grit to heavy ground, because wet soil is the quickest way to lose a houseleek.

Water and feed. Do not overwater. Water established plants only when the soil has dried out, and in a summer heatwave water around the rosettes rather than into them, because water trapped in the centre can rot them. It needs no feeding.

Pruning. None needed. Pull dead lower leaves off gently by hand. If pups form, remove them carefully and pot them on, or leave them in place to form a colony.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Mint Marvel Houseleek as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. It arrives as a small, tight rosette, so plant it into gritty soil straight away and keep watering light while the roots develop. The colour deepens as it settles into full sun.

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

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

• Browse our full succulents range
• Plants that suit rockeries
• Succulents in Australia: a complete care guide
• More plants for pots and containers

Common questions

Will it cope with frost and cold winters?

Yes. Houseleeks come from cold mountain country and are rock-solid cold hardy. Wet feet in winter do more damage than frost, so keep the soil gritty.

Why is my plant losing its red tips?

Almost always too little sun. Move it into full sun and keep the soil lean. Colour also changes with the seasons, so a gentle shift is normal.

What do I do with the baby plants?

Leave them in place to fill a gap, or lift each pup with a few roots and pot it into gritty mix for a free plant.