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
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, refering to manner in which plants "sit" on walls; common name refers to manner in which many species live on stoney ledges; except for spurium native to Caucasus and ternatum native to eastern U.S., mostly native to Asia; many species have been reassigned by some authorities to the genus Hylotelephium, such as spectabile
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' | hybrid | pink | 2-3", fleshy, toothed; upright 2' |
| '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' | |||
| '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 |
| *'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 |
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