Sedums

Sedums, also called Stonecrop

Sedums, often referred to as Stonecrop, come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. Some are very little in height and yet they will spread out making great groundcovers. Others grow tall with large flower clusters that come to life in the fall when many other plants are done for the year. And then there are those that are in between.

Sedums are succulents. That is, they can survive with less water than most plants. They have thicker leaves and stems which take up water and store it. This allows them to be planted in areas that other plants can’t be used.

Rock gardens and more arid locations like along sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. These plants are tough and resilient also. Not that they should be used in a heavy traffic area, but they can bounce back from an occasional trauma like a wayward ball or step or two.

They grow quickly with new stems and it is best if the taller varieties are pinched early in the season to help prevent them from getting too tall and leggy later when they are blooming.

Great groundcover

The varieties of Sedum that make good groundcovers are usually evergreen. They may lose some of their brilliant colorings during the cold months, but they snap right back in spring.

The Sedums that are in the medium size range will often stay evergreen if they get protection during the cold months. A layer of mulch or snow will usually give them enough protection.

Tall ones for winter interest

The flower heads that turned to seed can be left on for winter interest as well as for the seeds. The foliage will die back for winter. The plants will grow new stems from the crown of roots.

Some of the Sedums we may have available here are:

Angelina

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Sedum repestre ‘Angelina’
4″ to 6″ high and 12″ to 24″ wide.
Full sun
Dense chartreuse green foliage makes an excellent groundcover. Bright yellow flowers rise up in mid-summer.

Dragon’s Blood

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Sedum spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’
4″ to 6″ high and 12″ to 24″ wide.
Full sun/part shade
Vining groundcover with round green leaves. Bright flowers and leaves in the spring and reddish foliage in fall.

Chocolate Ball

Sedum hakonense ‘Chocolate ball’
2″ to 3″ high and 10″ to 12″ wide.
Full sun/part shade
Brownish-green foliage is joined by yellow flowers in late summer. The small size makes it great for rock gardens or containers.

October Daphne

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Sedum sieboldii ‘October Daphne’
6″ to 12″ high and 6″ to 12″ wide.
Full Sun
Medium-sized succulent with purple-edged round green leaves. As the name suggests, clusters of small pink flowers bloom in the month of October.

Autumn Joy

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Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
18″ to 24″ high and 18″ to 24″ wide.
Full Sun
Tall leafy sedum that is crowned with clusters of tiny pink flowers in late summer, then browns for winter. Brown seedheads can be left for winter interest.

John Creech

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Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’
2″ to 4″ high and 4″ to 12″ wide.
Full Sun
Leafy sedum that is crowned with clusters of tiny dark pink flowers in late summer. This is a groundcover sedum, rooting as it grows.

Not all of these may be available. There may be others.