Common name: Stonecrop, Sedum, Live-forever
Family: Crassulaceae, Orpine
Height x width: 4-24" x 18-24"
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: varies with species, often opposite or ternate (photo Sedum 'Purple Emperor')
Flowers: cymes, color varies with species, summer
Hardiness: zones 3-8
Soil: well-drained, tolerate drought
Light: sun
Pests and Problems: crown rot (from wet soils), leaf blotch, leaf spot, stem rot, rusts, aphids, southern root-knot nematode (none serious problems)
Landscape habit, uses: shorter species for rock and wall gardens, hillsides, steep slopes, containers; taller species for large rock gardens, borders, specimens, containers
Other interest: genus name from Latin sedo meaning to sit, referring to manner in which plants "sit" on walls; common name refers to manner in which many species live on stony ledges; except for spurium native to Caucasus and ternatum native to eastern U.S., mostly native to Asia; many species and cultivars have been reassigned by some authorities to the genus Hylotelephium, although Sedum is still commonly used. Most the taller cultivars are hybrids of spectabile and telephium. 'Autumn Joy' is not only the most common cultivar in this genus but one of the most common perennials of the last 20 years. It is correctly named 'Herbstfreude' in the Herbstfreude group of sedum, although 98% of the time you will see it listed as 'Autumn Joy', often with various incorrect applications of above species names.
Other culture: low maintenance
Propagation: seed (200,000 seeds per ounce), leaf or stem cuttings avoiding excess wetness, division of rock garden species
Species:
The following species and cultivars are perennial ones most commonly
seen in U.S. commerce of the over 300. Those marked * are the most popular.
| Species | height | flower color | bloom time | habit | foliage |
| *acre | 2-3" | yellow | spring | evergreen mat | pointed, ¼" long |
| aizoon | 12-15" | yellow | summer | upright | flat, 2", toothed |
| album | 4-6" | white | summer | evergreen mat | reddish, cylindrical |
| dasyphyllum | 1-4" | white | summer | evergreen mat | gray-green, opposite |
| kamtschaticum | 4-9" | yellow | summer | upright | alternate 1-2" |
| lineare | 8-10" | yellow | summer | semi-erect | linear, flat, whorled |
| middendorffianum | 10-12" | yellow | summer | upright | narrow, V-shaped |
| reflexum | 6-12" | yellow | summer | evergreen mat | cylindrical |
| sexangulare | 4-6" | yellow | summer | evergreen tufts | cylindrical |
| spathulifolium | 4-6" | yellow | late spring | tight clumps | terminal rosettes |
| spectabile | 24" | pink, white | fall | upright | 2-3" opposite |
| spurium | 2-6" | white, rose | summer | evergreen mat | 1" opposite, toothed |
| ternatum | 2-6" | white | late spring | evergreen mat | terminal rosettes |
Cultivars:
The following are the most commonly seen in U.S. commerce.
| Cultivar | species | flowers | foliage, other |
| 'Album Superbum' | spurium | white | |
| *'Autumn Joy':'Herbstfreude' | |||
| 'Blue Spruce' | reflexum | yellow | blue, needle-like |
| 'Brilliant' | spectabile | deep pink | |
| 'Bronze Carpet' | spurium | white | bronzing may fade |
| 'Cape Blanco' | spathulifolium | yellow | compact, silver gray leaves |
| 'Carmen' | spectabile | carmine pink | |
| 'Coccineum' | spurium | scarlet | |
| *'Dragon's Blood' | spurium | dark red | purplish bronze |
| 'Fuldaglow' | spurium | burgundy | maroon |
| 'Fuldaglut':'Fuldaglow' | |||
| 'Herbstfreude' ('Autumn Joy') | hybrid | pink | 2-3in fls., fleshy, toothed; upright 2ft. |
| 'Iceburg' | spectabile | white | |
| 'Indian Chief' | spectabile | red, pink | |
| 'John Creech' | hybrid | pink | late spring, 2-3" tall |
| 'Meteor' | spectabile | pink | identical to 'Autumn Joy' |
| 'Mohrchen' | hybrid | red, fall | dark red; tends to flop |
| 'Purple Emperor' | hybrid | pink-purple | dark purple, 15"tall |
| *'Red Carpet' | spurium | red | bronze |
| 'Ruby Glow' | hybrid | dark ruby | 12" tall, late summer |
| 'Stardust' | spectabile | silvery pink | 18" tall |
| *'Tricolor' | spurium | white | pink, white, green leaf stripes |
| *'Variegatum' | kamtschaticum | orange yellow | wide white margins; compact |
| *'Vera Jameson' | hybrid | pink, 2-4" | bronze; 9-12" tall |
| *'Weihenstephaner Gold' | kamtschaticum | golden | var. floriferum |
('Purple Emperor' photos courtesy Missouri botanical gardens plantfinder)
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