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 ucculents have adapted their whole way of life to conserving moisture so they can survive long periods of hot, dry weather. Their natural habitat varies considerably, from the desert and semi-desert areas of Central America, where agaves, echeveria and some sedums are to be found, to northern Africa and the Atlantic islands of Medeira and the Canaries, where aeoniums have their homes. Southern Africa is the land of lampranthus and aloes, while sempervivums are to be found in the mountainous regions of both Europe and Asia. Some succulents survive soaring temperatures and long hours of baking sunshine while others, though they can tolerate drought conditions, prefer a shady spot tucked between deep rocks or behind much larger plants. Most of them will be used to lower night-time temperatures but fewer have adapted to freezing conditions. This means that in our northern climes they should be given the protection of a greenhouse or conservatory during our cold, damp winters. Relatively few succulents can withstand frost - those that can mainly originate from the mountains of northern Europe, north America and central Asia, where they often survive winter with a blanket of snow for protection. Some of the best-known examples of the hardy souls are found under the genus sempervivum. Most of us will be familiar with the common houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum), its leaves are often richly tinted with soft brown or burgundy, and the cobweb houseleek (Sempervivum arachnoideum), easily recognised by its dense covering of white hairs. Both plants form ground-hugging rosettes of fleshy leaves.
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