Hello everyone!

So in all of the time I've studied succulents, I never showed much interest in Sempervivums up until just a few weeks ago, and I have never seen a sempervivum that does not have the name "Hen and Chicks". Are hen and chicks and sempervivums synonymous with each other?

So what I'm saying is I know that hen and chicks are sempervivums, but are the only sempervivums "hen and chicks"?

If any of you need me to explain my question further, then please let me know.

Thanks!

Johannian
Sempervivum is the latin (and correct name for the hen and chicks that we are all talking about here).
Hen and chicks is a common name which often refers to Sempervivum but in some places the common name Hens and chicks also refers to Echiveras. I have even herd people refer to Aeoniums as Hens and chicks. This is why common names are so problematic. Sempervivum are very cold hardy. The other two mentioned species are not. This is the short story but I hope it helps. The name Sempervivum means For ever living. I don't know what Echivera and Aeonium mean in English but Aeonium is a great word if you find yourself stuck with all the vowels in a game of Scrabble.

Echeveria is the name of Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, the genus was named after him.

As for Aeonium, that is of greek origin.
https://books.google.ro/books?...

ricos said: Aeonium is a great word if you find yourself stuck with all the vowels in a game of Scrabble.

Great tip!! 👍🏼

Thanks guys for the info! Also good to know that sempervivums means "hen and chicks" in Latin. Right now I'm studying ancient (Koine) Greek, and then I'll go on to Latin. I wish I had already known Latin, and then I would have known LOL. But thanks for letting me know now!

Johannian said:Thanks guys for the info! Also good to know that sempervivums means "hen and chicks" in Latin. Right now I'm studying ancient (Koine) Greek, and then I'll go on to Latin. I wish I had already known Latin, and then I would have known LOL. But thanks for letting me know now!

Hi,

I once took Latin in school and like to learn reading different Greek scripts for my history hobby. I'm into Magna Graeca and Byzantine Empire, mostly. Sempervivum is also great because it it native to places where Latin and Greek were used daily. I have to learn some because I like learning about classical botany, horticulture, medicine, culinary uses... How is the Koine going? With Latin, you have to remember agreements, like nouns and adjectives have to have the same ending. Then there are declensions and onto the Aeneid.

I have this book called 'Latin for Gardeners'. I cannot recommend it enough. A good dictionary of plant names is also helpful.

Oversimplified breakdown:

Semper+vivum
Always+Alive

More simply, evergreen.

Wow! Thanks for the info AnnMarie!

My Greek studies are going well. Just finishing the first aorist tenses. Before that I just covered verbs in the imperfect tense. Next, I am going on to some more masculine declension endings.

Since Portuguese is a Romance language (a descendant of Latin), I can understand many of the Latin-derived names for plants. Sempervivum when translated into Portuguese is "sempre viva" which means always living. In Spanish it would be spelled "siempre vivo".

As for the common name of "Hens and Chicks", it has also been used for Chlorophytum comosum.