Houseleeks

Today's the day ........................ for the weird and wonderful world of Sempervivum

Sempervivum is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae - commonly known as known as 'houseleeks'. 

They are succulent perennials that form mats of tufted leaves in rather pristine rosettes. They spread rapidly and are very useful as groundcover for dry, sunny locations.  At this time of the year, they start to throw up their incredible flowering stalks - which look a bit like a periscope.

The famous English herbalist Culpepper was a huge advocate of their medicinal value.  He apparently said - 'Our ordinary Houseleek is good for all inward heats, as well as outward, and in the eyes or other parts of the body: a posset made of the juice is singularly good in all hot agues, for it cooleth and tempereth the blood and spirits and quencheth the thirst ......................'