Hardy Easy Sedum

Mixed Sedum and Sempervivum pot                             Sedum 'Cape Blanco' growing on rock

Care of your Sedum is minimal. You only need to water when there isn't much rainfall and during the hottest days of the year. Many sedum will tolerate light shade, and even benefit from some shade in hot/arrid parts of the country. The tall upright varieties need full sun to stay sturdy and upright, too little sun will cause them to have weak stems and flop over.

Types of Sedum: ground cover, trailing, tall upright varieties, and many in between. They come in sizes from under 2" to 24" tall. Foliage texture, size and color vary greatly in sedum. Foliage colors range from various shades of green, gold, pink, red and variegated. Flowers colors include yellow, pink, red, orange, white and various shades of the listed colors. Most sedum are evergreen, however the tall varieties are dormant in the winter.

Sedum 'Silver Stone' in summer color                             Sedum 'Silver Stone' in winter color

Ground cover and creeping varieties can be as low 1/2" in height, making them perfect for rock gardens, containers, between paving stones and borders. They will tolerate light shade.Most of the ground cover and creeping types will root easily by just laying on the ground. Some will even propagate from a leaf falling on the ground.

Sedum 'Autumn Joy' in summer color                            Sedum 'Autumn Joy in Fall color

Upright varieties can reach heights of 24" or more. They make great accent plants in mixed borders or a specimen plant standing on its own merits or planted in larger containers. Pruning in late June or early July will help keep them bushy but in my experience I have not found pruning necessary when grown in full sun. Stem cuttings to start new plants can be taken at any time during the growing season. They root easily and quickly. If you prune, this would be a good time to increase the size of your collection.

Sedum blooms just once a year and holds its blooms until winter; there is no need to deadhead. If you like having interest in the garden during winter, just leave the seed heads until late winter and remove them before new growth starts in late winter or early spring.

          Sedum oreganum                                                                    Noid (No id) Sedum

With hundreds of varieties to choose from you are sure to find one that will meet your needs.

Uses for Sedum:

Ground cover, containers of all kinds, between paving stones, rock gardens, wreaths and topiary, accent plants, back of the border for the taller varieties.

Bee & butterfly magnet

Deer and rabbit resistant

Drought tolerant

Come by the Sedum and Sempervivum Databases to find out more about the different varieties available.Sedum and Sempervivum Database