I was just given a container that has several sedums and succulents which I'd like to try to ID. I know in some cases that's not possible but I figure two or three of these are recognizable enough I might get a name -- and I mainly want to know about cold hardiness.

Some of this I know is hardy (I'm zone 7 and we has winter!) but a few I think are not.

The whole thing does need repotted anyway but I'd like to keep some of this outside as I have precious little space inside. Yet, how could I turn this down, I ask you!?

So, here is a not wonderful picture of the container:


This plant's stems all have roots growing! so it is going to need some place(s) to grow. But, can this one live outside in our winter, or no?


This one, I'm pretty sure is a sedum that could be okay outside but I'd love to know if anyone can assure me of that, or else tell me don't risk it!


This is about to bloom and I suspect it needs some winter protection:


Same with this one, which is totally unfamiliar to me:


Maybe a better picture:


I'd appreciate any info!

Looks like you have 2nd pic, Sedum rubrotinctum ("pork and beans") and 3rd pic, Sedum makinoi and 4th pic, (depending on the bloom and I'm guessing) a Graptoveria 'Fred Ive's? Other pics have plant unkown to me.

That's great, thanks so much! That name "pork and beans" rings a bell, too. I can at least look these up and find out about hardiness, which helps a lot. I'm hoping the pork and beans ( my friend called them jellybeans) would be hardy enough to be outside since I am going to divide it a few times.

You might improve chances of the jellybeans surviving if being outside they could be in a spot that offers some protection from frost, wind, or cold air in general. I tuck my pots against the house, sometimes under the eaves and if temps look to drop close to freezing, I drop frost cloth on top of them (sometimes doubled folded shade cloth) just to help protect from frost. I notice you are in zone 7 so colder than where I am. If you divide them, put them in different locations to increase chances of some of it surviving somewhere.

Bev, thanks. I won't be trying to put the jellybeans outside, or at least, not most of them (maybe a bit just to try it!) But the makinoi looks like a good candidate. Clearly these plants are going to have to be treated differently!

kylaluaz said: Clearly these plants are going to have to be treated differently!

Yes, this is a concern when I see beautiful containers with mixed plants that have different needs in regards to light, water, soil, etc. People not familiar with the needs of these different plants buy these containers and over time are then are wondering why the arrangements are doing poorly. The only time I will buy these kind of arrangements is when I see the chance to get hard-to-find specimens that I will take out of the arrangement when I get home.
Of course there are those most beautiful succulent arrangements that are put together for special occasions and need not last but the beauty of them are most appreciated and memorable!

Bev, I know what you mean! I wondered why this one was assembled of plants with different needs, because it seemed it could so easily be done otherwise.

Here are some pictures of how I dealt with the different plants:

This container will live inside this winter: You can't really see but the jellybeans are mostly in here. Some of them I stuck here and there outside too, just to see how they fare:


This is the one you think is likely Sedum makinoi, and it's in a pot sunk in the ground, next to a couple other sedums I am not sure where they will go next season. Some I also put in the dish that will live inside, just for looks:


And these are the semps and a sedum that were in there, which I am pretty sure are hardy; I plunked them right into the ground:


Fingers crossed!

The one in the dish, that is budded out and which you had no idea what it is, (it's on the right in the picture) sadly some of its stems are mushy, and I don't know why! because the soil in the original container was bone dry to the bottom. Anyway, I laid them in under some potting mix in hope they'll somehow recover or at least last long enough I can see the blooms.

This one is not hardy to your growing zone. But since it can be divided, you might try as Bev said. Placing it in a protected area that also won't get moisture. It is usually a combination of cold and moisture that do them in.


This one should be hardy in your growing zone. It would do best in filtered light placement, not full sun. The more light it gets the more chartreuse color it will be.


I could be wrong, but I don't think it is Graptoveria 'Fred Ives', the leaves look wrong. Would not be hardy in your growing zone. Graptoveria (XGraptoveria 'Fred Ives')

We cross posted Bev and Kyla. Wow, what a great arrangement you made to take indoors. It will be so much fun to see them next year.

Also, for the identity of the two tender type succulents, a good place to possibly get a positive ID would be our Plant ID Forum. There are some amazing people working in that forum help to ID plants. http://garden.org/forums/view/...
Start a new thread for each plant. Please come back here and let us know what you find out.

Thanks very much, Lynn! I kind of thought the one didn't look like the pictures I found of Fred Ives. So yes, great suggestion to take those two to the Plant ID forum. I'll do that later on.

And thanks for the compliment too, on my little dish arrangement. I hope the ones with mushy stems make it!

What part of the stem was mushy? If the lower part you may need to behead the plant and start the top. Can you show us a photo?

It was the part next to the soil line. I've buried it but can lift it up again easily -- if a picture would help.

Kyla that really does look pretty!! The one that has mushy stems looks like a senecio "blue chalk stick" or something like that...and is very tender and does not like being wet at all!! This one I always bring inside before the temps get anywhere near chilly at night!! Also the pork N beans one does fine here for me if I keep it dry (living in Seattle that means keeping it in one of those plastic covered greenhouse shelf setups - not great but it lives!!
Thanks for sharing this, good info on what is hardy and what isn't !

Thanks, Greg.

I did go ahead and post both pics in the Plant ID forum -- not satisfied yet that they've been IDed so hoping others will chime in.

And! If I have a plant that can't stand to have its stems wet at all, well, I am not sure if it should even be in the same pot as the others, which will have to be watered some.

Hmm.

As for the jellybeans, some of them are in a container outside that Iconsider my magic pot; it has some things growing I didn't expect to survive there so maybe jellybeans can be okay there too. It's on the Northwest corner of the shed but it is protected from too much wind anyway.... Well, just an experiment.

Kyla one thing about that jellybean one - it'll have some great fall colors before it goes (if it doesn't make it!!) Some of the others may also get some great late fall coloration!

Kyla, how about typing in Pachyveria into Google to maybe help in ID'ing your large unknown succulent with the upcoming blossom?

Bev, I think that may be it, from the pictures I saw. Thank you!

I have blooms on that one:



Posted that in the Plant ID thread also but, yanno, in case someone here knows it I thought I'd double up too.

Honestly, looking in the database didn't help, even with the blooms. Going to google next I suppose. Also, I know this isn't really a sedum, or I think it isn't! so my apologies for wending off course here.

ETA: From google, it looks like this is indeed Pachyveria of some kind.

That makes sense to me!! Mine have never bloomed...the flowers are pretty!!

Thanks, Greg, they are! They'd be prettier if I hadn't let them get aphids who migrated over from the little lemon tree I brought inside at the same time. Cleaned those off the lemon and there they go on the succulent. Hard to get them off without doing damage. Plus my cat got interested and knocked a couple buds off.

Too bad cats don't eat aphids...