Hens and Chicks don't seem like an optimal choice for the rainy Pacific NW, but they do amazingly well here when planted in well-draining soil and are given ample sun. 'Hester' is a charming addition to container planters, hanging baskets, and those dry, gravelly borders, with its fuzzy leaves and changing colors. A deep maroon in the dead of winter, 'Hester' has more green at the height of summer. Growing no more than three inches tall and eventually spreading its chicks up to a foot wide, 'Hester' is an excellent ground cover in xeriscapes and needs little water once established. Sempervivums are monocarpic, meaning that when a "hen" flowers, it will die, leaving all its little chicks to take its place.