Sedum

Botanical/Latin
   Sedum

Pronunciation
   seed-um

Common Name
   Stonecrop

Hardiness zone range
   3 - 9

General Comments
A huge group of extremely valuable plants that have attractive, succulent leaves in various shades and terminal clusters of small, star shaped flowers that are densely packed in dome-shaped heads. They are among some of the easiest and most rewarding of all perennials to grow, providing a combination of long lasting foliage and flower color that often changes with the seasons and provides color and interest from spring until the arrival of frosts and winter snow.

They range in size from small, carpeting, alpine types, to taller, medium sized, border perennials.

Deer usually avoid the fleshy foliage, while butterflies flock to the nectar bearing flowers.

Uses
Superb when placed in rock gardens, raised beds, sloping banks, and sunny perennial borders. Low maintenance qualities are combined with drought resistance and heat tolerance to make drifts of effective ground cover or simply as small, highly decorative groups to grace and extend the garden scene over a long seasonal period. Some cultivars are derived from maritime species, so they are useful in seaside plantings.

Light Preference
Full sun, with some that are tolerant of light shade

Culture
Thriving best in light, sandy soils in sunny positions, they tolerate dry conditions well and will even put up with impoverished poor soils, although the best results will undoubtedly be in more fertile conditions.

Generally free from pest and disease problems, they require little maintenance except removing old flower stems after flowering. It is also a good idea to dig up and divide the clumps about every 3 or 4 years; this helps to keep them vigorous and healthy and of course provides more plants.

Background
Worldwide, there may be as many as 500-600 species in this huge and diverse plant group. The botanical name comes from the Latin word Sedo which means to sit, a reference to the way the creeping alpine types "sit" on stone walls, houses, and rocks. This also applies to the common name, stonecrop, which helps to explain how these modifications of nature are so well adapted for man-made locations.

Several species are native to rocky mountainous areas of Europe. While many of them have ornamental merit, the majority of our favorite garden Sedums have origins that can be traced back to inhospitable regions of China, Siberia, Korea, Japan, and the Kamtschatka Penninsula. Sedums have a tendency to hybridize with ease, and over the years many hybrids have spontaneously occurred in gardens, blending the best horticultural qualities of the far flung species that would not under normal circumstances interbreed. We list the ones we have found to be the most reliable and decorative in our gardening climatic zones.

Splendor Suggestions
One of the major features of sedums is the way that their seasonal interest continually changes. From spring through summer, the hues of foliage color changes as they grow and develop into flower. To extend the season into late autumn and winter, consider leaving the flower heads and stiff stalks of the border types like S. `Autumn Joy' and `Matrona' to complete their change of color from pink to bronze and then rich shades of brown. It is a charming sight on a winter morning, when a light covering of snow accentuates the bold, flat heads as they protrude upwards. In early spring, the remaining debris can be cleared away, with the added benefit of knowing that they helped sustain some hungry birds through the winter weather.

Companion Plants
They combine well with the silvery-green foliage and blue flowers of Caryopteris (Blue Spirea); the daisy-like flowers of Asters add bright spots of late summer color. Echinacea (cone flowers) is another option.

The big dome heads of the border types look great with spiky foliaged grasses, especially Festuca `Elijah Blue', Pennisetums, and variegated forms of Miscanthus like M. sinensis `Variegata'.