Houseleek, Hen and Chicks, Stone Rose (Molodylo)
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Houseleek (Molodylo)According to folk belief, houseleek — also known as hen and chicks, or stone rose, and called molodylo in Ukrainian — was planted to protect buildings from lightning and fire. It was believed to be the favorite plant of Perun, the Slavic god of thunder. One species of houseleek even received a fitting scientific name for this reason: the common houseleek, Sempervivum tectorum (literally "ever-living [plant] of the roof"). In Roman mythology, the plant was associated with the god Jupiter, and in Norse mythology, with the god Thor.
In one English county, houseleek symbolized male strength and fertility, since its stalk had a phallic shape. If the plant bloomed in the home of an unmarried girl, it was taken as a sign of an approaching marriage.
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