SUNNY
DISPOSITION
COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019
PAGE.
PLANTINGS
WRITTEN BY
RUTH ROGERS CLAUSEN
Live-forevers, one of sedums’ common names, speaks to their easy-to-grow
nature. Their versatility makes them an ever-popular perennial. Also known
as stonecrops, sedums are at home with grasses, in butterfl y and pollinator
gardens, in rock gardens, on rooftops, at border edges, as groundcovers, as
hedging or cut fl owers, and in both formal and informal landscapes. Many
thrive alone or as container-mates in hypertufa troughs, window boxes, and
ceramic or clay pots. You can even bring them indoors as decorations where
winters are too cold.
The genus Sedum comprises about 470 species in the family
Crassulaceae. Botanically, sedums are split into two groups: low-growing
Sedum and tall, upright Hylotelephium, but they’re both commonly referred
to as sedums (see “What’s in a Name?,” right). Their succulent foliage and
stems enable them to tolerate dry soil and drought. Some are evergreen (S.
dasyphyllum [S. burnatii]), but most are deciduous. The fl eshy leaves may
be needlelike, fl at and rounded or dull-pointed, or fi nger-shape. Colors
include solid green (S. ‘Sublime’); variegated green-and-white (S. ‘Frosty
Morn’); blue-green (S. ‘Thundercloud’); gray-green and silver (S. ‘Pure
Joy’); plum, red, and purple (S. ‘Purple Emperor’); and even yellow or
gold (S. mexicanum). Their starry fi ve-petaled white, yellow, pink, or red
fl owers burst forth in clusters or sprays that entice butterfl ies, bees, and
other pollinators to fl ock to their blooms. Work them in wherever you want
a perennial with multiseasonal interest. As their common name implies,
they’re sure to live forever as a garden go-to.
BRING A ROSY OUTLOOK TO THE
GARDEN WITH SUCCULENT SEDUMS.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
SEDUM OR
HYLOTELEPHIUM?
All stonecrops are sedums, right? Maybe.
Tall, upright sedums such as ‘Autumn Joy’
(‘Herbstfreude’) were moved to the genus
Hylotelephium. Whole ground-huggers
such as S. mexicanum Lemon Coral remain
known as sedums. Not all catalogs and
nurseries changed to Hylotelephium, so
you may fi nd the same species
designated in different places as
Hylotelephium and Sedum.
GROWING SEDUM
HOW TO GROW: Soil must drain well;
neither tall nor creeping sedums will
tolerate wet feet. They are ideal on
sandy banks to control erosion, between
crevices, or in xeriscape and rock
gardens. They are fi ne with lean soil and
don’t require fertilization. Most species
do best in full sun or at least part sun;
October daphne (S. sieboldii) and Oregon
stonecrop (S. oreganum) are exceptions
and need some shade. Pests and diseases
are few, although aphids and slugs can
become a nuisance; deer seldom dine
on sedums. Tall species may fl op with
top-heavy fl owers, especially in fertile,
Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’
