So, I’ve had these hens and chicks, you know, those little succulent rosettes, for ages. They just kinda sat there in a pot on the porch, multiplying like crazy. Didn’t think much of ’em, to be honest. They’re tough little buggers, that’s for sure. Barely watered them, and they still thrived, pushing out new little ‘chicks’ all the time.
Then one year, I noticed something weird happening with one of the bigger “hen” plants. It started to stretch. Like, really stretch upwards. At first, I thought it was getting leggy from not enough sun or something, or maybe it was sick. It looked totally different from all the other compact ones.
What in the world was going on?
I got a bit curious, naturally, and started watching it closer. This main plant, the one that was getting tall, its leaves started to change shape too, pointing upwards more. It definitely wasn’t a tight, ground-hugging rosette anymore. It was slowly turning into a kind of stalk. My wife walked by one afternoon, peered at it and said, “Maybe it’s gonna flower?” And I was like, “These things flower? Get outta here.” I’d never seen it, or even thought about it.
Well, turns out, she was spot on. They do flower. And it was quite a show, actually, when it finally happened. Here’s what I remember from that first time, and I’ve seen it a few times since:
- First, that main rosette, the ‘hen’, it just committed to getting taller. It really elongated, losing its classic flat shape.
- Then, this thick stalk shot up from the center, maybe a good six, seven inches, though I’ve seen some go even taller.
- At the very top of this stalk, a whole cluster of little buds appeared, packed tightly together.
- And then, over a few days, bam, they started opening up. Little star-shaped flowers. The ones I had were mostly a kind of dusty pink, but I’ve heard they can be reddish or even yellowish. Pretty neat, actually, for such a humble, everyday little plant.
The really interesting part, or maybe the slightly sad part depending on how you look at it, is what happens next. After it finishes flowering, that main plant, the “hen” that put on the whole spectacular show? It dies. Yep, that specific rosette that flowered just slowly withers away. It puts every last bit of its energy into making those flowers and trying to set seed. It’s sometimes called a “death bloom,” which sounds super dramatic, but it’s pretty accurate.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, far from it. Before it goes, that hen has usually produced a whole bunch of little “chicks” around its base. So, the family line continues, you know? It’s like its grand finale. And those little chicks, they just keep on growing, and eventually, some of them will grow big enough to be hens and might do the same flowering thing years down the line.
So now, whenever I see one of my hens and chicks starting to bolt upwards like that, I don’t worry that I’ve done something wrong. I just get ready to watch the show. It’s a bit of a bittersweet thing, seeing it flower so beautifully and knowing that specific plant is on its way out. But that’s just how nature works, isn’t it? Definitely changed how I look at these common little succulents. They’re not just static green things; they have this whole cool life cycle that’s pretty fascinating when you take a moment to actually pay attention. And those flowers, when they do decide to appear, are a real unexpected treat.
