Lifeforever; Hen-and-chicks (Sempervivum ruthenicum), fam. Crassulaceae.
Succulent heads that rarely occur in dry pine groves. It is believed that the falling pine cones help breaking the adventitious shoots that later take roots. This plant cannot bear excess of water.
Painkilling, disinfectant, antiinflammatory, wound-healing, antiscorbutic effects of the liveforever plant are used to treat various diseases. Probably, it has some common features with a well-known indoor plant kalanchoe. The name "liveforever" is either derived from the its rejuvenating effect onto humans, or from its evergreen nature – for example, it is the easiest to find this plant in the forest in late autumn. In the old times, there was a folk tradition to propagate this plant on the house roofs.