Russian stonecrop has bright yellow blooms that bloom in the late summer and deep green foliage. It’s a dependable, quickly expanding plant that may be used to cover sunny regions as well as fill in gaps in rock gardens or chinks in stone walls. In the fall, the foliage turns a lovely copper color.
- Originally from: Siberia
- USDA Planting Zone 38
- : 36 inches tall
- Full sun exposure
Both have started to be used interchangeably. However, the term “stonecrop” refers to a wide variety of Crassulaceae plants that flourish in rocky, arid environments. Sedums are technically plants belonging to the Sedum genus, which has up to 500 species.
Stonecrops are resilient, drought-tolerant perennial plants that are well-liked in rock gardens, pots, and xeriscaping.
Stonecrop and sedum grow quickly. A fast-growing cultivar called “Angelina” can be planted at any time of the year, but it may take a year or two for it to bloom.
Sedum spreads quickly, right?
Sedums can survive in less-than-ideal environments, therefore the author covers a stone wall with a variety of them (identified in chart below).
A creeping sedum may be the ideal plant for you if you want something attractive that can survive with almost complete neglect. Sedums show off where many other plants would be afraid to tread. For instance, they settle in the crevices of a garden wall or pathway, on roofs or the tops of birdhouses with slightly sloping roofs, or even under huge trees where their gigantic roots control the majority of the soil’s moisture. Additionally, they function well in borders, containers, and rock gardens.
Many gardeners have started looking more closely at plants in the genus Sedum as seasonal and protracted droughts become more frequent across the United States. The ground-hugging relatives of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy,’ which is well-known for its late russet blooms, are also gaining popularity.
In my yard, creeping sedums, often called stonecrops, provide endless fascination. Over the course of my many years as a gardener, they rank among the most adaptable, drought-tolerant, and simple-to-grow perennials I’ve ever grown. Sedums really require less work from a gardener as their area grows. These slow-growing plants, which are renowned for their propensity to spread swiftly, prevent weeds from taking root. Since they eventually just fade away, it is not required to deadhead the spent blooms, but it is simple to get rid of old blossoms using a string trimmer. They rarely contract illnesses or pests as long as they aren’t overwatered.
Even the poorest soil may support sedums, and small amounts of soil are really their preferred medium. However, the key to cultivating them is proper drainage. A sedum will be quickly killed by excessive wetness, especially standing water, which will accomplish what no drought can.
Even in the driest conditions, sedums practically never need further water after they are established. Sedums function admirably almost anyplace as long as they receive proper drainage, but they are particularly well suited for gardens in hot, arid regions like the western United States. They can also be found sticking up from boulders or sprouting from only a few inches of scree in cold, alpine environments where they are widespread. For almost every USDA Hardiness Zone, there is at least one Sedum species. The majority of creeping sedums can tolerate little shade but prefer full sun. Native to North America, Sedum ternatum is one sedum that prefers shade and a little bit more moisture than its relatives.
Creeping Sedums
Hardiness: The Northern Hemisphere’s Sedum genus has more than 400 species of succulent annuals, perennials, biennials, subshrubs, and shrubs. Sedums are commonly grown as creeping ground coverings. Each USDA Hardiness Zone has at least one species that can withstand it. Most thrive in Zones 4 through 9. OUTLINE: Five-petaled flowers in shades of yellow, white, or pink lie above mats of succulent leaves that range in color from green to blue-gray to reddish bronze. In the winter, the leaves of evergreen species take on colours of crimson and russet. PROPAGATION: From spring to midsummer, propagate plants by division or seed in the spring or fall. Plant in rock gardens, walls, recesses in walkways, and pots. You may also use it as a border edging or in sweeps on slopes. The majority of creeping sedums like full sun, although they can also tolerate little shade. They prefer medium to poor garden soil that drains well; once they are established, no additional watering is required. They cannot endure any amount of time in standing water.
The author’s favorite sedums
Except for S. ternatum, all of these exceptional sedums prefer full sun or mild shade. The numbers in the chart that come before the name in the image below provide a key.
First S. album
2. S.’s “Murale” album
S. divergens 3.
S. ewersii 4.
S. kamtschaticum (5)
S. kamtschaticum (6)
S. reflexum 7. (S. rupestre)
‘Rose Carpet’ 8.
S. sexangulare 9.
S. spurium, “Fuldaglut” 10.
S. spurium “John Creech,” 11.
S. stenopetalum 12.
S. ternatum 13.
Creeping sedums change from season to season
Creeping sedums are attractive for their dependability and lack of fussiness, but I’m also drawn to them for their succulent leaves, lengthy flowering cycles, and, in some cases, year-round attractiveness in the garden. Sedum blooms often come in little, star-shaped clusters that range in color from white to yellow to purple to pink, and are no larger than an inch in diameter and 4 to 5 inches tall. The carpets of blossoms they generate when planted in large numbers are stunning. Many evergreen sedums, such as Sedum album “Murale” and Sedum stenopetalum, blush to a rich red or bronze color in the fall and even throughout the winter. These stunning contrasts to an otherwise inert landscape last until early spring. They look particularly lovely on a snowy background.
One of the simplest plants to grow from seed, cuttings, or divisions is the sedum. Stem cuttings or divisions will guarantee the maintenance of a plant’s traits once you’ve found one you like because sedums don’t always grow true from seed. Sedums spread quickly, yet they are not invasive. They are easily lifted and transported because of their thin roots. As long as there is adequate drainage, they may survive the winter in most planters and come out of dormancy in the early to midspring.
I complained as I pulled boulders from the cultivated sections of my father’s fields as a young child working on the family farm in northeastern Maryland. In a fitting irony, decades later I still wander the same fields looking for fascinating stones to use as backdrops and accents for my ever-growing collection of sedums.
A few ways to use creeping sedums
Sedums that are resilient make lovely staples. In a section of my rock garden, I utilize a lot of sedums to simulate a cascade. You can blend several sedums, such as the white-flowered Sedum album, the S. grisebachii, and the yellow-flowered Sedum sexangulare (foreground, first photo below) (background). They perform well in a region that can be seen from above.
These year-round, low-maintenance plants are ideal for containers. You won’t need to bring the pots indoors for the winter because creeping sedums do well in containers. Additionally, because of their drought tolerance, you won’t need to locate someone to water them while you are away. Sedums, like the yellow-flowered S. sexangulare (Sempervivum spp. and cvs., Zones 410, second photo below), can be used as underplantings or in combination with other succulents like hens and chicks.
Make stepping stones or rock walls’ sharp edges softer. Within cracks in a stone wall or between stepping stones, sedums, like S. spurium ‘Fuldaglut,’ grow with almost no soil (third photo, below). Use small, mature seedlings, usually referred to as plugs, and combine with some fine gravel and soil.
Utilize a patchwork of sedums to tame a difficult terrain. Maybe you have a spot where gardening and lawn mowing have never worked well together, like a hillside with compacted soil. It might be the perfect place to use creeping sedums, like the pink-flowered S. spurium ‘John Creech’ and others, to intertwine regions of color and texture. The “quilt will vary three times a year as the sedums exhibit the colors of their early-season foliage, then their blossoms, and finally their winter leaves in various tones.
Do sedums prefer shade or the sun?
Looking for a vibrant perennial that can withstand harsh conditions and is simple to grow? The next time you go plant shopping, consider sedum. These succulent plants are incredibly simple to grow as long as they receive enough of sunlight and have proper drainage.
All sedum flower, but the variety of leaf forms and colors is what will make you want to grow these low-water plants. Sedum comes in a wide variety of hues, including chartreuse, pink, gray, blue, purple, and multicolored. The leaves can range in size from the size of your pinky fingernail to that of a spinach leaf. They are the ideal selections for giving the garden a splash of color.
How to Select the Right Sedum
Sedum comes in two basic varieties: upright and low-growing (sometimes sprawling) varieties. Which one fits you best? What you want it to accomplish in the garden will determine how. In many perennial gardens, taller cultivars like “Autumn Joy,” “Matrona,” and “Frosty Morn” are essential. They get along well with other perennials, such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and spurge, that do well in full sun and soil that drains well. Low-growing species make great groundcovers, borders, and container plants since they frequently have the most vibrant leaf colors.
When to Plant Sedum
Sedum should only be planted in the spring and summer, when the plants are expanding rapidly. Sedum are often more cold-hardy than many other varieties of succulents, but if they are not established before the winter wetness arrives, they will rot.
Where to Plant Sedum
Sedum don’t need a lot of water, and they benefit from at least six hours of sunlight each day to produce their greatest hues. In heavy, muddy, or high clay soils, they won’t thrive. The higher locations in your yard that drain after a severe rain will be better for sedum because low spots typically end up accumulating water. If your yard has both high and low points.
Sedum is not a succulent that does well inside, although some are. Simply said, they need an excessive amount of sunlight.
How to Prepare the Soil for Sedum
Spend time prepping the soil before planting sedum in the ground for the greatest results. To accomplish this, combine current soil and an equal amount of Miracle-Gro All Purpose Garden Soil. This will not only make your soil lighter—your sedum will thank you for it!—but it will also provide your plants with the nutrition they require for a healthy start.
How to Plant Sedum
1. Lay out the plants and gauge their spacing before you dig the holes (the plant tag will tell you how far apart they should go). Sedums that are shorter and more sprawling than those that are upright usually require more space.
2. Once the spacing is ideal, make a hole that is slightly broader and deeper than the root ball.
3. To give your sedum a good start, place a Miracle-Gro Quick Start Planting Tablet into the bottom of the hole. Next, cover the tablet with a thin layer of dirt.
4. Combine the soil as directed.
5. Set the sedum in the ground so that the top of the root ball is parallel to the surface.
6. Water sources.
How to Grow Sedum in Containers
Sedum are excellent plants for containers! Start by selecting a pot that is no wider than the plastic bag that the sedum was packaged in. When gardening in an area with a lot of rain, prefer unglazed clay or terra cotta containers over glazed pottery or plastic pots since they dry out more rapidly.
Fill one-third of the pot with quickly draining Use Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix, a Miracle-Gro Quick Start Planting Tablet, some soil, the plant, and more soil until the mixture is approximately 3/4 inch below the rim (so the soil won’t wash out when you water the plants). Thoroughly water. When the top 2 inches of soil are dry, water again. Bring the containers under cover if it’s raining a lot until the weather clears up.
Use a little larger container if you’d like to mix sedum with other plants that require about as much water, such lavender, oregano, rosemary, or spurge.
How to Feed Sedum
For Sedum to continue growing healthily and attractively, it needs a reliable source of nutrition. For optimum development, feed them Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed All Purpose Plant Food a month after planting. Your sedum will be fed by this plant food for up to three months. It contains natural components including earthworm castings, feather meal, and kelp. Make sure to adhere to label instructions!
How to Deadhead and Prune Sedum
Sedum plants require little water and require little upkeep because they don’t require much time to be spent deadheading and cutting. However, there is a simple way to prolong the bloom time of taller varieties. Cut a couple plants back by one-third of their length when they are around 8 inches tall. The season will be extended because they will bloom a little later than the uncut plants. (Although sedum is mostly grown for the foliage, the flowers are a charming addition.) The wasted blooms can then be removed to tidy up the plants, or you can leave the blossoms standing for winter appeal.
The only time you’ll need to prune the sprawling variety is if they outgrow the space you’ve allocated because their purpose is to spread out. The trimmed ends may re-root and produce additional sedum if you scatter them throughout the garden.
Propagating Sedum Using Seeds
Care should be taken when handling sedum seeds. They are relatively lightweight, thin, and tiny. You can either buy them from gardening stores or gather them from your home’s existing Sedum plant.
Here’s how to get your own seeds from a Sedum plant that already exists:
As soon as the Sedum plant flowering period is finished and the created seed heads begin to turn brown instead of green, pluck numerous seedheads to gather your seeds.
To allow the seedheads to dry, place them in a paper bag and store them in a cool, dry location for at least two weeks. The seeds will decay if you plant them before they have dried or if you keep them in a moist environment.
When the seedheads are totally dry, take them out of the bag and thresh them with your fingers to collect the seeds. This should be done over a very fine screen that is set over a basin or tray. This keeps all the detritus on the screen while allowing seeds to pass and gather in the container.
After gathering all the seeds, place them in a bag that is marked with the name of the Sedum and the date of harvest. A Sedum plant that blooms in the fall can be seeded the following spring. You can keep the seeds in your refrigerator for a year while you wait to plant them.
The ideal period to grow Sedum plants from seed is in the spring, when temperatures range from 45 to 65F.
Prepare a sterile, fine-textured soil mixture for seed starting, then wet it to make it damp but not drenched. Make sure not to cover the seeds with too much earth as you sow the seeds in the potting mix.
The seeds typically germinate in two to four weeks, but you must maintain soil moisture during this time. Repot the seedlings once they have grown, or put them in our garden, and care for them till they are healthy.
How to Propagate Sedum from Leaf Cutting
Sedum plant reproduction from seed is slower and less reliable than sedum plant reproduction from leaf cuttings. Every Sedum leaf is a possible cutting that could grow into a new plant, so you have the opportunity to fill your garden or containers with brand-new Stonecrop plants.
The following materials are required for Sedum leaf cutting propagation:
- Pruning shears/sharp knives
- An alcohol rub
- hormone for roots
You can plant your Sedum from leaf cuttings by simply snipping off only healthy leaves from the parent plant with pruning shears or a sharp knife. To stop the spread of pests and diseases, don’t forget to clean your cutting tools with alcohol.
Apply the rooting hormone to the leaf node or cut area. Rooting hormone promotes quick rooting. Take the leaves now, and either put them in water or soil to root them.
Make sure the soil is moist and doesn’t retain water if you plan to plant roots in it. The leaf should be softly placed on the potting soil that drains well, covering the leaf node region.
Use a horticultural heating pad if you have one to keep the bottom of the pot or tray at around 70 degrees. Continue regularly misting the container with water to keep the appropriate humidity levels. Alternately, place the pot or tray under indirect lighting and cover it with clear plastic.
New Sedum plants will begin to sprout around the base in two to three weeks as the plant grows new roots. After transplanting the young seedlings, you can throw away the old leaf.
You might need a mesh or something akin to a toothpick to support the leaves in a glass of fresh water if you’re rooted in water. To prevent the water from becoming stagnant and rotting the leaves, you must constantly replace the water. It’s time to transplant your Sedum if you notice roots beginning to grow.
How to Propagate Sedum from Stem Cuttings
If there are any leaves below the planting surface, remove them and leave only a few leaves on the stem cutting. When cutting the leaves, take care not to harm the stem.
The stem should now be dipped in water, then a rooting hormone powder. Water aids in the powder’s adhesion.
Root the stem in soil or water as you choose. If you plan to root in the ground, prepare a soil that drains well and water it. Put the stem cutting into the potting soil slowly.
Every time the soil dries out, lightly water it. Sedum cutting requires water right now in order to establish roots and flourish. If necessary, you can water it at least once a day. Your cuttings may need three weeks to form roots; after they do, you may start watering them less frequently.
If you choose to root your stem cutting in water, fill a glass or bowl with fresh water before dipping your cutting inside. Make certain that no leaves are in the water, and always change the water each day. You can transplant your stem cuttings into pots after two to three weeks when you start to notice roots.
How to Propagate Sedum from Division(Offshoots)
If you are a home gardener, dividing your plants when they generate offshoots is the best technique to propagate Sedum. It is good for beginners because it is typically quite simple and successful.
Some things you’ll need are:
- a well-kept knife or pair of pruning shears (for cutting)
- a trowel or a shovel (to dig up the plant)
Sedum will begin sprouting new green branches in the spring, which is typically its growing season. To detach the sprouts from the parent plant is your aim.
The process of dividing a grown Sedum plant is comparable to dividing clones from a mother plant.
Making clean cuts with the shovel on both sides, dig up the entire plant. Ensure that you have the entire root ball and that the shovel has been driven deeply enough.
Cut the core component first, then move outward, aiming for two or more roots-bearing pieces with a green bud in each one. Obtaining pieces with several roots is the best situation.
To prevent drying out, make sure your divisions are replanted as soon as you can.
At the same depth, plant the divided Sedum before and at the base, and then cover with mulch or compost. The soil will stay moist thanks to this.