Sedum

The Versatile
and Hardy Stonecrop

Also called stonecrop or orpine, their reputation as an unflappable hardy perennial plant is well deserved, as they will thrive in some of the most challenging conditions we can throw at them.

Planting Sedum in your garden will give you a long season of growth, blooming, and ultimately, even winter interest if you leave the spent blooms to capture snow.

Many Sedum varieties are used extensively for summer foliage colour and fall bloom displays.

Gardeners aren’t the only ones to appreciate all that Sedum have to offer - butterflies and pollinators are very attracted to the nectar and pollen.

pink Sedum bloom with Great Spangled Fritillary butterflies

Origins of Sedum

Even North America boasts several native Sedum species; Sedum lanceolatum, S. integrifolium, which is also called S. roseum, and S. stenopetalum. Sedum spathufolium and S. divergens are also native to high alpine and rocky outcroppings.

Many lovely Sedum varieties and species have been tested in Europe on green roofs, and you can’t get much more difficult conditions than that.

Green roof Sedum varieties are the most willing to face drought, thin soil and harsh environments.

These are native to the high mountains and wild places across Europe, including the Balkan Mountains and the Carpathians.

Sedum in a mixed border

Well behaved and slow spreading they seldom wear out their welcome. If they do, they’re easy to remove or prune to keep within bounds.

They are used with great success as a backbone plant for containers,

pink Sedum bloom

The species and varieties native to Europe and North America are in most cases hardy to around Zone 3, depending on winter conditions.

Full sun exposure and great drainage are key to their success.

Sedum Facts

Sedum pluricaule bloom close up

Many Sedum are deciduous, losing all or most of their leaves in the fall.

Some that fall into this category are Sedum spurium ‘Dragons Blood’ and Sedum cyaneum ‘Rose Carpet’ as well as one of my all time favorites, the exquisite Sedum pluricaule.

Others are evergreen, retaining the same leaves year after year such as most of the Sedum reflexum varieties such as ‘Angelina’ and ‘Blue Spruce’, as well as Sedum sexangulare and forsterianum.

Border Sedum variety in bloom

They provide winter interest, attract birds and also capture snow and prevent it from blowing away.

Sedum for groundcovers reliably fill in gaps between taller plants, on slopes and banks for soil conservation and for non-stop seasonal interest, with textural differences, foliage and bloom colour throughout the summer and fall.

How to Grow Sedum

Sedum - along with most other types of plants with succulent foliage - have the ability to survive long periods without irrigation or rainfall.

Growing Sedum in a xeric garden forms the backbone for groups of other types of plants which tend to go dormant under stress, to give a presence and structure to the garden even during extended droughts.

Winter conditions are the most critical for Sedum – if high rainfall is followed by freezing temperatures many Sedum will succumb, turning into black mush.

The best way to combat this threat is to provide extremely good drainage so no water ever puddles at the crown of the plant. Even if the leaves and smaller twigs die back, the crown of the plant will live to sprout again.

Ideal conditions for Sedum are those found in raised beds where you can customize the drainage, particularly in clay soils.

Adding a small amount of steer manure and a higher proportion of grit or gravel when building the bed will provide the perfect situation.

Pruning Sedum

Sedum for groundcovers tend to get a bald spot around the crown without pruning to encourage the new vigorous growth. It’s important to prune the dead stalks off before new growth starts to emerge so you don’t damage the tender sprouts.

Sedum tapestry

The border Sedum require cutting with shears or pruners in the spring on a case by case basis, as the stems are too tough for this cavalier treatment.

Fertilizing Sedum

Over fertilizing will lead to floppy weak growth and aphid infestations, as well as making them less able to withstand drought.

A small amount of worm castings around the base of the plant, or a sprinkling of a weak solution of compost tea once a season will be perfectly adequate.

Mulching

Avoid using organic mulches such as wood chips or bark, as they can retain too much moisture around the crown of the plant.

With so many types and varieties of Sedum to choose from, you’ll enjoy using these versatile and hardy plants in your garden.

To see all the Sedum I offer for sale and links to a detailed description and pictures of each one visit the Sedum List.

Find out more about Sedum below...

Each link will take you to another page by other visitors...

go to Drought Smart Plants home page

Sedum Plant List

My Sedum and Succulent Nursery