Hello!
You might not now this, but Sedum is now split into many many genus. There are a lot of the genus, so not all of them are listed here. Here are the biggest groups that have been split into (Or just common ones): Phedimus, Petrosedum, Hylotelephium. There is also a few oddballs that have been moved to different genus.

Sedum (The "new" version):
The "new" Sedum genus mainly has the previous sedum that has rounded, pan-shaped/paddle shaped leaves, or ones that are chubby and juicy... I have them in two categories (Not official, just my personal thing I do..): Super chubby, and paddle shaped. Most of the chubby ones are not hardy (Such as the jellybeans, cleavatum, pachyphyllum etc. with exceptions of the tiny ones such as sexangulare or dasyphyllum, and Sedum album.) Nearly all paddle shaped ones are hardy. Most of those can also be grown as houseplants. Most of the chubby sedums are grown for leaves, nearly all hardy sedums are grown for leaves.

Many species like shade... some include: Ternatum.... Sarmentosum (Be aware when planting, it grows like crazy)

The "new" sedum don't have much dormancy, some still do though. They can be grown as houseplants.
*Do note that some species such as sexangulare and album, without aquedate sun, will become string-y.

Phedimus:
Phedimus grows like the groundcover Sedum.... Well, it just crawls about. Nearly all of them have scalloped leaves of varying degree. Most go dormant during winter, some do it very dramatically, others just stop growing. They are mainly grown for foilage and sometimes for flowers, but very rarely.

Phedimus does not make a good houseplants, with exceptions including most Phedimus spurius cultivars (Especially the variegated ones such as Tricolor).

Hylotelephium:
Many hylotelephium such as spectabile and sieboldii may resemble phedimus from their scalloped leaves, but they grow like bushes!! And also, they die back fully during dormancy. Some, such as sieboldii, look and grow like phedimus... But, usually, the leaf shape is much larger or rounder, and also, look for big Bunches of flower buds, I think it's called an Umble (??? Might not be correct term... ???). ANyways, in gardens you will mainly find Hylos for their flowers and leaves combined.

Hylotelephium does NOT make a good houseplant. It will get tired VERY quickly without dormancy. Mmm. *Note: It makes very good flowers in flower arrangements, they last very long and sometimes even root in the water...

Special oddballs (not all of them, there are too many.. here are some common ones...):
Sedum pachyclados:
Now in rhodiola.

Very nice!

I hardly ever see any of the bigger, hardy Hylotelephiums for sale around where I am now. In OH, they were a big deal, easy to collect. And so popular with bees & butterflies.

This in particular, missing from the scene.
Showy Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile)

mmmm.
Its very common in Virginia...
Most of the Spectabile (autumn something, cant rememer the name) are pretty large once matured.

The sunsparklers tend to stay lower and form "mats"... They can form large colonies tho.

sedumzz said: Hello!
You might not now this, but Sedum is now split into many many genus. There are a lot of the genus, so not all of them are listed here. Here are the biggest groups that have been split into (Or just common ones): Phedimus, Petrosedum, Hylotelephium. There is also a few oddballs that have been moved to different genus.

Sedum (The "new" version):
The "new" Sedum genus mainly has the previous sedum that has rounded, pan-shaped/paddle shaped leaves, or ones that are chubby and juicy... I have them in two categories (Not official, just my personal thing I do..): Super chubby, and paddle shaped. Most of the chubby ones are not hardy (Such as the jellybeans, cleavatum, pachyphyllum etc. with exceptions of the tiny ones such as sexangulare or dasyphyllum, and Sedum album.) Nearly all paddle shaped ones are hardy. Most of those can also be grown as houseplants. Most of the chubby sedums are grown for leaves, nearly all hardy sedums are grown for leaves.

Many species like shade... some include: Ternatum.... Sarmentosum (Be aware when planting, it grows like crazy)

The "new" sedum don't have much dormancy, some still do though. They can be grown as houseplants.
*Do note that some species such as sexangulare and album, without aquedate sun, will become string-y.

Phedimus:
Phedimus grows like the groundcover Sedum.... Well, it just crawls about. Nearly all of them have scalloped leaves of varying degree. Most go dormant during winter, some do it very dramatically, others just stop growing. They are mainly grown for foilage and sometimes for flowers, but very rarely.

Phedimus does not make a good houseplants, with exceptions including most Phedimus spurius cultivars (Especially the variegated ones such as Tricolor).

Hylotelephium:
Many hylotelephium such as spectabile and sieboldii may resemble phedimus from their scalloped leaves, but they grow like bushes!! And also, they die back fully during dormancy. Some, such as sieboldii, look and grow like phedimus... But, usually, the leaf shape is much larger or rounder, and also, look for big Bunches of flower buds, I think it's called an Umble (??? Might not be correct term... ???). ANyways, in gardens you will mainly find Hylos for their flowers and leaves combined.

Hylotelephium does NOT make a good houseplant. It will get tired VERY quickly without dormancy. Mmm. *Note: It makes very good flowers in flower arrangements, they last very long and sometimes even root in the water...

Special oddballs (not all of them, there are too many.. here are some common ones...):
Sedum pachyclados:
Now in rhodiola.

This is great info! However for someone like me who can't tell the difference between a sedum and Echeveria, it would be nice to see "photo" reference on what you are saying here. This way, when we go to the store we have a general Idea of what they look like.

What I really like about the sedum is their blooms look like stars. And I like the "trailing" and clumping look when they make those pups!

GigiPlumeria said: This is great info! However for someone like me who can't tell the difference between a sedum and Echeveria, it would be nice to see "photo" reference on what you are saying here. This way, when we go to the store we have a general
Idea of what they look like.

What I really like about the sedum is there blooms look like stars. And I like the "trailing" and clumping look when they make those pups!

Good idea!

Sedum (new):
Most of the new sedum have round-type leaves, a few have the lance-shaped leaves. But, the leaves are still flat-ish.
Generic hardy sedum (3 examples):


This sedum is Sedum spathufolium; it looks somewhat like an Echeveria. Though it can be difrentiated -- this is extremely tiny compaired to most Echeveria, and it also has small stems and trails/clumps.


Hardy sedum (with the pointy leaves):
Flat-shaped leaves.

Unlike petrosedum; Sedum lineare's leaves are FLAT.
Not very hardy; sedum booleanum. One of the few rare occurances where the sedum is not flat-leaved (with the sharp tip-type)


Generic soft sedum:
Most of the soft sedum have super chubby leaves... very few flat pointy leaves. There are exceptions though!




Petrosedum:
This group has tubular, sharp=pointed leaves.




Phedimus:
All of the ones in this have scalloped leaves -- and most like to go dormant or need to be cut back.




Hylotelephium:
Mainly grown for blooms. Can be ID'ed by the upright (usually upright) bushy clumps. Sometimes confused with Kalanchoe -- but theres a difference with the petioles (The stem-like thingy that connects leaves to the stem).
Kalanchoe petiole: (They tend to have a skinny petiole which become wider)

Hylotelehpium photos:
Hylotelephium tend to go dormant, but do not 100% need to. They will go dormant and form BEAUTIFUL dormant rosettes, in the summer they will grow beatufiul flowers.
Flowers:
Dormant:

Sieboldii (variegated): One of the few more prostrate species....

Fall foilage:

Some other, smaller varieties (Mianly from the sunsparkler hybrids)



Another one:

flowe:

now I will know my sedum!

Good tutorial!

John

Alchemist said: Good tutorial!

John

Your welcome! If you need any Sedum ID i can help

@sedumzz
Any idea on this ID? It's quite a small plant.

Looks like something from the Acre/Sexangulares/Album group. I can go more specific later....

Well, Alex, now that you mention it, I do have a sedum that I'd like to have identified. These pictures are all of the same plant.

John

Alchemist said: Well, Alex, now that you mention it, I do have a sedum that I'd like to have identified. These pictures are all of the same plant.

John

Beautiful!

Alchemist said: Well, Alex, now that you mention it, I do have a sedum that I'd like to have identified. These pictures are all of the same plant.

John

Compare to: Lesser Mexican Stonecrop (Sedum confusum)
The short, "stout" flower stalks, dense flower clusters, rosette shape and color....

@valleylynn
Is it possible to change the name of this thread to "Guide for Sorting Sedum into New Genus (And Sedum ID)"? I guess?

Aeonium2003 said: @sedumzz
Any idea on this ID? It's quite a small plant.

Yes it seems to be a sunstressed Sedum acre.
Compare to: Goldmoss Stonecrop (Sedum acre)

Thanks, Alex. It does look like the pictures in the database.

John

sedumzz said: Yes it seems to be a sunstressed Sedum acre.
Compare to: Goldmoss Stonecrop (Sedum acre)

Thank you. That was my suspected ID, but the mislabeled and misidentified pictures on the google search created some doubt.

Quite a wonderful amount of info , demos , education and explanations…on this thread.

I agree that this thread would be an informative guide for sorting new sedums into genus and ID.

Aeonium2003 said: Thank you. That was my suspected ID, but the mislabeled and misidentified pictures on the google search created some doubt.

So recently Lynn brought this up again -- I am still suspicious of this ID. @Aeonium2003
I'm still going through some Sedum for a better ID. (Will update)

Edit 1) Leaning on S. anglicum
Edit 2) Also might be S. anglicum 'Valle de Al'


has it every bloomed? What color?

Not it has never bloomed. That being said, I think it may flower this spring.