Dr. John Creech stonecrop

Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ – discovered in the Balkan Mountains by Dr. John Creech, this distinctive member of the tribe forms small clumping mounds covered with mauve purple flowers in summer.

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The very compact growth habit and fresh green foliage combines well in mixed containers or green roof plantings, or in rockeries.

I count this variety among my favorites for its well behaved habit and bright green clump forming foliage, and the starry blooms in July.

Plant this one in the butterfly garden and stand back – the Great Spangled Fritillary and many others will flock to the flowers. As a bonus it’s also a favorite plant for bees, both honey bees, and those tiny native bees, blue faced and mason bees.

They take the pollen to place in a nest with one single egg in it, for the larvae to eat when it hatches out.

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Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ flowers in bud.

Ultimate size is a small clump around 20cm (8″) across, and the flat to the ground stems are covered in flower stems that stand upright to around 10cm (4″).

The lovely fresh green leaves are nice all summer, and then to top it off, those starry pink blooms emerge.

In the winter, all you can see is the withered clump, with lots of tiny buds ready to emerge as soon a the weather warms up in the spring.

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The scalloped foliage is pretty distinctive, with extremely short internodes and low to the ground growth habit.

See more Sedum spurium varieties: