prefers full sun and medium to poor soil that is well-drained. every two to three years, in the spring. Stems are simple to remove and readily root when being transplanted. Early spring is a good time to prune back winter-damaged leaves to encourage fresh growth.
Atlantis sedum: does it spread?
Benefits: Sedum Atlantis is a low-maintenance perennial valued for both its foliage and flowers. It was named the Chelsea Plant of the Year at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show in the UK. This low-growing, sun-loving plant is drought-tolerant and makes a wonderful edging plant or container partner.
Flowers: Starting in July, tiny golden star-shaped flowers bloom in clusters above the plant.
Serrated leaves grow in thick rosettes, the foliage. Each leaf has a wide, yellow-white edge and a medium green color. The margins take on a rosy color during cold weather.
Habit: Sedum Atlantis spreads out to a width of 10 to 12 inches and grows 4 to 6 inches tall. It is a good ground cover because of its dense foliage.
Origins: The Sedum takesimense species is indigenous to Korea. Dave Mackenzie, proprietor of the Michigan-based wholesale nursery Hortech and an expert in green roofs and living walls, made the discovery of the variety known as Atlantis while cultivating plants as a hobby.
Sedum Atlantis should be grown in full sun in medium to poor soil with excellent drainage. Place it where it will get some afternoon shade if you live somewhere that gets very hot. This sedum is quite drought tolerant once established. 49th USDA Zone.
What is the ideal sedum planting technique?
Sedum, often known as “stone crop flower,” thrives in full to part sun. While creeping varieties can thrive in partial shade, taller hybrids require full light for the finest flowering.
Soil: Sedums prefer a pH range of neutral to slightly alkaline soil that is extremely well-drained. Root and stem rot can result from wet, heavy clay.
Tall growing sedums should be spaced 1 to 2 feet apart. Depending on the kind and how rapidly you want it to fill in an area, space low-growing, creeping sedums 6 to 12 inches apart.
Sedums should be planted in the spring after the risk of frost has passed. Till the end of the summer, you can still plant transplants in northern regions. Planting season is spring or fall in drier regions.
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.
Sedum can be planted in the ground.
Sedums have everything! This perennial produces clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall, along with lush, luscious green leaves. It attracts pollinators and is simple to maintain. How to plant sedum in your garden is provided here.
About Sedum
Sedum, a genus of succulents with fleshy stems and succulent leaves commonly known as “stonecrop,” is one of the easiest perennial plants to grow. This sedum cultivar is suitable for practically all gardens because it is a hardy plant that thrives in shallow soil.
Based on how the plants develop, we like to split sedum into two primary categories: low-growing sedum and upright sedum.
- Sedum that grows slowly spreads throughout the ground and only grows to a height of a few inches (or less). As a result, they are ideal for use as ground covers along pathways, in rock gardens, or cascading over stone walls.
- Sedum that is tall or upright often grows in tall, upright clumps with dense clusters of tiny reddish-pink flowers in their huge flower heads. They make excellent candidates for border gardens or pollinator gardens due to their height and lovely blossoms. Despite upright sedum’s recent reclassification into the Hylotelephium genus, it is still frequently referred to as a “sedum.”
Although they prefer full sun, Sedum may tolerate partial shade. Plant sedum in full sun to enhance overwintering potential if you live somewhere with long, cold winters (Zone 5 and colder).
Although sedum thrives in sandy or poor soil, it needs to be well-drained to prevent fungus problems. If cultivated in soil that retains too much moisture, it is highly prone to developing root rot. Additionally, overly fertile soil can promote lanky growth, which can cause upright sedum species to bloom with a top-heavy appearance.
When to Plant Sedum
- Sedum is usually bought in plugs or pots and transplanted into the garden. Sedum is best planted in the spring, after the risk of frost but before the summer heat arrives.
- In early spring, sow sedum seeds in average to rich soil that is well-drained. (Learn more about adding amendments to the soil and getting it ready for planting.)
How to Plant Sedum
- Depending on the kind, space plants anywhere between 6 inches and 2 feet apart. While upright sedums tend to keep more compact, low-growing sedums will quickly fill in any gaps.
- When planting whole plants or divisions, dig a hole deep enough so that the top of the root ball is level with the soil’s surface. Then, insert the plant, and then cover the area around it with soil. Avoid burying upright sedum stems in particular as this can cause rot.
- Planting cuttings: Sedum is easily propagated through cuttings, just like other succulents. Under the right lighting and watering conditions, the cutting should easily root if the cut end is simply inserted into the soil.
- Sedum plants require little maintenance once they are established. Check on your plants frequently over the summer to make sure they are not getting too dry, and water them (sparingly) if necessary. Sedum shouldn’t require extra watering if your area receives rain at least one every two weeks.
- After flowering, prune the plants to keep their shape or confine them to a single location.
- Advice: After blooming, leave upright sedum flowers alone for more winter interest. They will produce lovely seed heads.
- To stop your plants from spreading, remember to divide them in the spring or fall. Divisions and cuttings root easily all summer long.
- Sedum humifusum has stunning, bright yellow flowers and produces an excellent ground cover.
Is Atlantis Sedum Hardy?
Given that Sedum Atlantis won Plant of the Year at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show (hear the CFS Plant Based Podcast special here), you may already be familiar with it. But what actually distinguishes it as a fantastic, award-winning plant?
Its looks
A lovely plant with an intriguing color combination is Sedum Atlantis.
It also surprises by producing startling pale pink flower buds, cherry red leaf buds, and yellow blooms in the summer. Its green leaves have yellow-tinged cream margins. What a spectrum of hues!
Additionally, the foliage keeps its color throughout the summer and autumn, allowing you to enjoy its beauty for a longer period of time.
Its drought-proof qualities
This plant is not only a visual delight, but it is also drought resistant and very low maintenance.
Sedum Atlantis can go for extended periods of time without water, making it a wonderfully low maintenance plant to have in your garden, whether you have a dry garden that doesn’t receive much rainfall or you just prefer to go on vacation every now and again.
Its hardiness
If you live in the UK or another nation with extremely chilly winters, you are likely aware of how uncommon it is to see a lot of succulents flourishing outside. Sedum Atlantis is one of the few types that can withstand the low temperatures.
It can actually withstand temperatures of -30C. That is perfect for any setting, including container gardens, rock gardens, green roofs, and uses as ground cover or on balconies or terraces. It can handle some shade, but it does prefer full sun.
Its millennial appeal
This is a succulent, did I not mention that? It’s no surprise that the decade’s most fashionable plant won Plant of the Year.
The colors of this plant will make a good contrast if you already have an all-green plant collection. Millennials adore the aesthetic of succulents.
Sedum Atlantis is the ideal addition to the landscape for maintenance-conscious plant owners when all of this is taken into account together with its easycare characteristics.