Hello from Kentucky, Gale. Before treating your plant, it is generally helpful to identify the type of pest or animal you are dealing with. Different products/treatment methods are needed for various insects and animals. Sedums generally do not have many bug problems, but they are more susceptible to troubles if they are stressed or not placed in ideal growing conditions. How does the harm appear? You are dealing with a larger four-legged animal if the plant shows actual bite marks or missing parts. Sedums are not favored by deer or rabbits, but if they are hungry enough, they will eat just about anything, according to a Missouri botanical garden. Repellants in granular or liquid form ought to stop them. Someone should examine a sample to identify the smaller bug if the damage is more spotted. The local garden centers should also have a horticulture on staff who can assist with identification and treatment choices. If your County Extension Office has an entomologist on staff, this is your best bet. Potential pests include ants, mealybugs, aphids, and slugs. Treatment options for different pests include using insecticidal soap or, if you have aphids, natural predators like lady bugs.
Who or what would consume sedum?
Animals. The fragile young shoots of the sedum plant have been known to attract the attention of deer and squirrels. Deer have demonstrated a liking for the sedum type known as “fall delight,” despite it being deadly to humans.
Who or what is harming my sedum?
There are some pests that can occasionally bother the sedum cultivars, notably Autumn Joy. Aphids, fungus gnats, and snails and slugs are a few examples. Spring and summer are when aphids attack sedum. With their piece-sucking mouth parts, they consume the stems and leaves while sucking off the plant liquids. The fungus gnats can infest container mixtures and garden soil. The larvae will then consume organic material and plant roots. Plant damage can be caused by both larvae and adults. Snails and slugs are classified as mollusks rather than insects. Both vermin feed at night and leave a sticky trail in their wake.
Do rabbits or deer eat sedum?
One plant the rabbits do not like is lavender. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
One plant the bunnies dislike is penstemon. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
One herb the rabbits do not enjoy is tarragon. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
The herb thyme is one that the bunnies dislike. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
Rabbits dislike sage more than any other herb. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
The rabbits dislike the plant salvia. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
One plant the rabbits do not like is sedum. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
The bunnies do not like the agastache plant. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
One herb the rabbits do not like is echinacea. On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
On May 23, 2017, in Longmont, Michael Morris, the hard goods manager at the Longmont Flower Bin, displayed plants and repellents for rabbits and deer.
Do birds enjoy sedum as food?
The seedheads that survive into the fall and winter provide backyard birds with a welcome source of food.
Designing a landscape with a multilayered canopy of evergreen and deciduous plants allows for flexibility in accommodating the needs and preferences of many bird species. However, the correct combination of plants and a few basic amenities can help establish a habitat for birds that spend the winter in your garden, ensuring their survival until the spring.
Birds’ food choices vary based on the species, environment, and season. Chickadees, sparrows, and finches that live in winter consume seeds. As winter approaches, certain insect eaters rely increasingly on seeds. And a number of birds that consume insects during the mating season change to a more omnivorous diet and consume a lot of fruit in the winter. For all of their different demands, here are some of the greatest winter food choices.
Fruit Buffet Birds need to eat a lot of calories from fat in the winter to keep their body temperatures stable. When berries or fruit have a lot of fats, shrubs and trees that retain their produce over the winter are especially beneficial.
Offer a high-fat spread that contains berry-rich plants like dogwood, sassafras, bayberry, and sassafras albidum as well as other plants like magnolia and sassafras (Cornus spp.). Many plants store their fruit over the winter, especially since birds don’t like them until the fruit becomes softer and sweeter in the cold weather. Crabapple (Aronia spp.), American bittersweet (Celastrus spp.), juniper (Juniperus spp.), hawthorn (Crataegus spp.), sumac (Rhus spp.), chokeberry (Aronia spp.), juniper (Juniperus spp.), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) are a few examples (Malus spp.). Even birds can survive on the berries that some hollies (Ilex spp.) produce into the early spring.
sown specials Refusing the deadhead is one method to ensure a seed feast. In other words, leave the spent blooms alone at the end of the season so the seeds can develop into food. Many perennials that produce seeds, such as coneflowers (Echinacea spp. ), coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.), beard tongue (Penstemon spp. ), and sedums (Sedums spp.), are simple to grow and need little upkeep since they can withstand drought after they have taken root.
Various birds can find food in the seedheads of numerous shrubs, trees, and grasses. Redbuds (Cercis spp.) and maples (Acer spp.) both contain winged seeds, whereas spruces (Picea spp.) have colorful, pendulous seed cones that are exquisitely ornamented, and redbuds (Picea spp.) have bean-like pods that survive throughout the winter and draw a lot of birds.
Water miracles Water is a strong magnet when it comes to drawing birds. Birds require access to fresh water all year round, but winter can be a particularly challenging time to locate such a supply.
An excellent technique to draw birds to the winter garden is with a heated birdbath. Additionally, you can prevent water in an already-existing birdbath from freezing by including a submersible, thermostatically controlled water heater made exclusively for outdoor birdbaths. A shallow waterproof container, such as a glazed plant saucer or rock with a natural depression, will serve just as well as a birdbath for providing water at any time of year.
replenishing bird feeders In order to stay warm during the chilly winter evenings, birds can lose 7 to 15 percent of their body weight. As a result, properly supplied feeders are a crucial addition to your winter garden. Here are a couple of their top seed picks.
A wide range of bird species, including buntings, chickadees, finches, grosbeaks, jays, juncos, mourning doves, nuthatches, titmice, and woodpeckers, prefer black-oil sunflower seeds as a favorite feeder food because they are high in energy and have a high meat-to-shell ratio.
White millet is a small, nutritious grain that is rapidly consumed by ground-feeding birds including mourning doves, juncos, siskins, and towhees. Cardinals, finches, grosbeaks, and sparrows also like to eat white millet.
Thistle is another name for nyjer. Finches, goldfinches, siskins, redpolls, and buntings all love this little black seed.
Safflower seeds resemble white sunflower seeds in appearance. Cardinals, grosbeaks, finches, doves, and sparrows find them attractive, but house sparrows, European starlings, and squirrels don’t.
Most birds can digest cracked corn better than whole corn. Finches, grosbeaks, jays, juncos, sparrows, mourning doves, towhees, and woodpeckers are fond of this seed.
feeders for birds with roots Birds love to consume the seeds and berries that these bird-friendly plants and trees provide in the winter. A lot of these plants also give birds a location to hide from predators or shelter from bad weather.
Perennials Aster (Aster spp.) seedheads attract goldfinches, chickadees, nuthatches, and towhees in the fall and winter.
Finches, chickadees, nuthatches, towhees, and other seed-eating birds can get their winter food from coneflowers (Echinacea spp. ), which have seeded orange-brown cones that darken as they develop.
Sedum (Sedum spp.): Attracts a variety of seed-eating birds, including finches, chickadees, grosbeaks, siskins, and many others; erect sedums like “Autumn Joy” provide a lot of seeds.
Vegetation & Groundcover Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, kinnikinnick A variety of ground-feeding species, such as sparrows and towhees, are drawn to evergreen groundcover with red berries in the fall and winter.
Important fall and winter food source (fruit) for many bird species, including warblers, robins, thrushes, bluebirds, vireos, and woodpeckers, is the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). offers nesting sites and temporary shelter.
Cotoneaster shrubs (Cotoneaster spp. ): Shrubs that are evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous offer cover, places to build nests, and berries in the fall that last all winter. Many bird species, including towhees, robins, mockingbirds, waxwings, and finches, eat berries.
Spruce (Picea spp.): In the fall and winter, seed-bearing cones draw a large number of birds, particularly grosbeaks, chickadees, woodpeckers, and nuthatches. Coniferous shrubs and trees that are evergreen also provide year-round cover and places for nesting.
Winter berries on several species of viburnum (Viburnum spp.) draw a wide range of birds, including woodpeckers, mockingbirds, finches, bluebirds, robins, grosbeaks, and thrushes. Trees and bushes that are both deciduous and evergreen offer cover and places to build nests.
Birch trees (Betula spp. ): Cone-shaped fall and winter fruits draw a variety of birds, including woodpeckers, chickadees, redpolls, siskins, and finches. Nuthatches and other tree insect-eating birds eat the insects that live beneath the bark.
Dogwood (Cornus spp.): Red berries draw robins, bluebirds, vireos, juncos, cardinals, warblers, and towhees, among other species of birds. Berries from late summer to early fall persist through the winter; these high-fat berries are a crucial source of food for migratory birds.
Holly (Ilex spp.): These mainly evergreen trees and shrubs support a range of fruit-eating birds, including bluebirds, robins, waxwings, finches, and woodpeckers, by providing fall fruits that survive into the early spring. Excellent tree for shelter and nesting locations, especially in the winter.
Readers should be aware that if you use one of our affiliate links to make a purchase, we might receive a commission.
How come my sedum is being eaten by birds?
You can blame the birds for your sedums looking ragged like this. The luscious, succulent leaves of sedum will start to be consumed in the summer by birds looking for water. Given that the damage has been observed when nearby water is readily available, perhaps they also enjoy the taste*. Fortunately, the flower buds are typically left alone to bloom in the late summer; nevertheless, the entire plant looks worse for wear for the remainder of the year.
One alternative is to cover your sedums with bird netting for a significant portion of the summer if birds regularly consume your sedums. Hologram tape and other visual deterrents might also work. Since birds have a minimal or nonexistent sense of taste or smell, spray-on repellents do not function on them.
How is sedum safeguarded?
The sedum shouldn’t need to be watered after the growing season is over. Sedums prefer dry ground. Winter rot can be caused by too much moisture. A layer of snow will aid in defending the sedum, but persistent rain and stagnant water are bad for the plant. You should water just enough if the winter is particularly dry to prevent the soil from drying out altogether. Sedum in pots will require more water than in-ground plants do.
What kinds of insects are drawn to sedum?
Our farms allow us to grow a wide variety of plants. This provides us the opportunity to watch them at all of their developmental stages, with tall sedum being one of our favorites. Growing tall sedum is an exciting endeavor for our nursery crew at the farm since it attracts swarms of bees and other pollinators when it blooms. Here, we describe tall sedum and explain why it can be a great addition to your garden for both you and the local pollinators.
Pollinators Adore Tall Sedum
Tall sedum should be on your buying list if you intend to encourage beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies in your landscaping. The grow house on our farm serves as an excellent example of how sedum appeals to the nearby bees. Hannah Richardson, a nursery stock producer, has changed her watering plan to prevent disturbing the hundreds of little bees who spend the afternoons crawling around the sedum blooms.
According to Hannah, it takes a while to realize how many bees there are because they are quite silent while working. But when she gets closer, she sees at least three or four different types of bees busy at work on each plant. Hannah initially believed that living in a grow house with so many bees would be somewhat intimidating, but it’s actually quite a tranquil environment. If she remains silent and respectful, they carry on with their diligent assembly and the tiniest hint of contentment. Three of the five sedum kinds in the grow house are currently in bloom, and Hannah anticipates a pollinator party once the other two start to bloom in the upcoming weeks.
People Love the Blooms Too
The distinctive bloom of tall sedum attracts more than just bees. Tall sedum produces numerous flat, dense clusters of tiny, pale green blooms on top of robust, succulent stems, and the show begins. In fact, they probably have a slight broccoli flavor to them. The little blossoms change from green to pale pink to richer pink and mauve tones as the summer and fall seasons progress.
Late in the summer, when the blooms are fully open, you’ll observe a noticeable increase in pollinator activity in the vicinity of tall sedum. A single sedum plant may occasionally be visited by a dozen or more bees, butterflies, moths, and other nectar-hungry insects. Tall sedum is particularly beneficial to butterfly species that migrate, including the imperiled monarch, which uses sedum as a refueling stop on their protracted journey south for the winter.
When winter does come, the dried flower heads stay on the stalks and provide winter appeal to the scene, especially when they accumulate small snow platforms on top.
Versatile + Full of Texture
Tall sedum also adds a distinctive texture to Midwest gardens in addition to its well-liked blossoms. Tall sedum, also known as showy stonecrop, is a succulent with upright, strong stems and dense, meaty foliage. Tall sedum works well as a specimen plant, a border plant, or as part of a cottage-style perennial bed in practically any sunny environment. It also adds a contemporary flair to more straightforward landscape designs thanks to its neat, succulent foliage and mounding habit.
Easy as They Come
And whatever perennial you can find for your garden is just as low maintenance as tall sedum. Each spring, fresh branches emerge from the soil to form orderly mounds of succulent stems and foliage. These mounds stay upright and orderly in enough light. Find a location in the full sun to set your sedum because some may start to flop if it receives too little sunlight. Tall sedum is highly tolerant of heat and dry soil after it has become established. Simply bury a stem cutting in the ground to reproduce. You’ll eventually have a brand-new plant.
Bring on the Bees
As you undoubtedly already know, pressures like habitat loss, climate change, and other factors are causing numbers of our crucial pollinators to fall. For our bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, even a small number of nectar-rich perennials in your garden may be a welcome resource, and tall sedum is one of their favorites. Visit the Nursery Yard to see our assortment of tall sedum and other pollinator-friendly plants if you want to see for yourself. Simply look for activity above the blossoms and listen for that slight hum if you don’t immediately notice them.