Sedum is known for its dense, colorful, and textured foliage. ), commonly known as stonecrop, is a genus of more than 450 species that belong to the Crassulaceae family. Plants with soft, sappy stems and leaves are probably in soil that is too fertile, and oversupplied with nitrogen. Cut top growth by around 10cms, don't throw cuttings away  because it is easy to propagate new Sedums from these clippings, see below. The best time to plant new "Autumn Joy" sedum is in the spring after danger of frost has passed, but this plant is not picky about planting time. Sedums (Sedum spp.) Full sunlight for best results but plants are fairly shade tolerant. I am worried it will smother some of the more delicate Alpine plants that are already there. Sedum are planted during the spring, to an appropriate depth and width of the root, spacing plants 15cm (6”) apart, although this will differ depending on the variety. The image below is part of a stem in water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall, and they should be spaced 12 to 18 inches apart. Both types make excellent ground cover for hot, sunny ground that is otherwise difficult to protect, though ice-plants spread slowly, so need to be established en masse for an instant effect. Growing sedums takes little effort, but you must choose a variety suited to growing indoors and provide the right conditions. It has a long flowering season from June through to October, with repeat showings of its bright purplish-pink flowers. How to care for Sedum Add moistened seed-starting mix to a pot with drainage... Flat. Add a thin layer of vermiculite (do not abuse). Available from specialist Alpine nurseries. Plant sedum during the spring and summer in a well-drained, sunny spot outdoors. Angelina has yellow-green foliage throughout the year, and is a good foil for purple-leaved varieties in mixed carpet plantings. The weevil’s larvae chew around stem bases just below the soil and feed on roots, which slows the plant’s growth, then causes wilting and eventually collapse and death. Pruning is generally unnecessary and Sedums can be kept in check by cutting back creeping types at the ends, or ice-plants can be tip pruned in spring to reduce the height if needed. Helpfully, Sedums are easy to propagate and you can have as many plants as you want for free. Northern hemisphere, extending into Africa and South America, Diminutive, ground-hugging stonecrops to 75cm tall ice-plants, Most species and varieties are fully hardy, Poor, thin, sandy or chalky soils preferred. A variety developed from the native biting stonecrop, this is a low, carpet-growing perennial with evergreen yellowish-green leaves and yellow star-like flowers. Sedums will grow in partial shade, but not full shade. Water, when compost appears dry to prevents the cutting from drying out until it can form its own roots in a few weeks. I do not find this problem occurs with Ruby Glow and the RHS garden merit award varieties tend not to do this. This variety forms a spreading carpet of bright golden leaves, studded with masses of individual yellow star flowers from June to August. It has an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. None of the Sedums should be watered in the winter as they can be prone to rot if waterlogged. How to Grow Sedum Growing Conditions. The variety to choose if you are looking for a white flowered ice-plant. Plant 15cm apart to establish a rapid and very attractive ground cover on thin soils. Never put a new, pot-grown Sedum in the garden until it has been knocked gently out of its container and examined for the characteristic gaps in the root ball. Stonecrops and ice-plants are great plants for difficult, dry places in the garden. Fill a pot or bed with a fresh succulent mix and plant your cuttings in the substrate. Sedum plants come in a wide variety of heights, colors, and forms. This looks drastic, but the plant will be stronger and more compact, and will produce a mound of fresh foliage by July and August, though flowering will be later and may be slightly reduced. You should get permission from the landowner first to stay within the law. When choosing the plants, think about combinations of height, colour and texture, and be imaginative! This can also be overcome by selecting a variety of Sedum which will do better than others. Another matt forming Sedum suitable for front of a border or rock garden it will even grow out of a wall. Place the plant into the hole, filling in with soil so that it is at the same depth as was in the pot. This new plant has recently been introduced to Britain from the US. It has an upright form and large, purple-tinged leaves. For shorter varieties, simply laying the sedum on the ground where you want it to grow is normally enough to get the sedum plant started there. If a more drastic solution is needed, take the plant out and replace it with one of the more recent varieties that does not suffer the issue as readily – ‘Purple Emperor’, for example, is not prone to sagging and can be happily left to make large clumps. They will send out roots from wherever the stem is touching the ground and root itself. In the wintertime, the tips of Jelly Beans’ leaves will turn red. Sedums need no additional water or fertilizer. Sedums do well alongside each other in complementary mixed plantings, and the green, red, chocolate, purple and copper-coloured varieties can be planted to form a living tapestry across areas of thin, poor soils. There are few rules in choosing and establishing the plants – though it is essential that there is good drainage, with plenty of drainage holes, and the pot should be raised off the surface with feet to ensure water drains away quickly. Q I have planted some stonecrop on my rock garden and it is spreading quite quickly. A great choice that is worth searching out if you are looking for a variegated ice-plant. DIY Garden is a UK garden website that aims to inspire, advise and help you improve your outdoor space. Sedum (Sedum spp. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. They also like – no – need – sunshine. A major advantage of Sedums is as a top 10 plants for attracting bees, hover flies and butterflies, especially when they first flower and are full of nectar. Just to illustrate the point, this is a short 2min 30 video showing the Sedums with a cloud of butterflies, bees and pollinators. To grow sedum plants to look their best, here are a few tips from the pros: Always, always use a well drained soil. Should the fiber mat (are those roots?) This is a 45cm tall, robust variety with stems that are less prone to drooping from the middle than some others. For more information on plants attractive to bees and butterflies, check out the wildlife garden. A deep red, almost black variety of orpine with an RHS Award of Garden Merit. More traditionally, they are grown in terracotta pans with other succulents such as Crassulas and Sempervivums. A garden centre favourite that certainly lives up to its name, with long, prominent stamens that seem to give the bright pink flowers eyelashes. Early spring is the optimal time to plant sedum seeds. Special succulent compost can be obtained, or make an equal mix of potting compost such as John Innes No 2 with vermiculite or perlite. On this page are many images of Sedum, and they are one of my top ten plants. Most of the stonecrops are evergreen and have rich foliage colours that look good throughout the year. Sedum telephium  with the RHS merit award(Atropurpureum Group) ' Purple Emperor'. How to Grow Sedum Pachyphyllum. Looking at the image bottom left, the three rings are drawn around three generations of Sedums rooted sequentially each year. Make sure that the plants have a base of compost to sit on, and aim to end up with the crowns of the plants around the level of the top of the pan, so that water has no chance of collecting around them. Remove any stems that develop with fully green leaves to maintain the variegation. Q There are some very pretty yellow stonecrops growing in an old quarry near where I live – can I use these in the garden? Plant sedum seeds in early spring in well-drained, average to rich soil. The ice-plants will survive dry conditions, though their growth may slow in very dry summers when occasional light watering will give them a boost. It is best not to dead head the plants as they look fantastic with snow and ice on them, see images below. Sedum plants just will not thrive in deep shade. If you are planting them in containers, add either some shredded bark or sand to make the soil mix very porous. Suitable plants. and netting be removed from the bottom of the sedum tile plant BEFORE planting in the ground? Plenty of cultivated varieties are available from nurseries. The two smaller plants at the front were off cuts from applying "the Chelsea Chop" in late May and the cuttings were simply just pushed into the ground from where they rooted, very easy. 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It grows up to 45cm tall, and has pale green leaves with creamy-yellow edges and pink flowers in August and September. The jointed stems of some sedum will simply pull right off and can be planted for new plants if you wish. They all have green roofs, planted with vegetation in a growing medium over a waterproofing membrane. With fleshy stems and leaves that store water, they are drought-tolerant and are ideal for sunny positions with freely draining, thin soils where most plants would succumb to dehydration. Also, the shorter varieties have a more upright in habit. Nipping back stops the floppy growth and makes for a better-behaved plant. After planting, water thoroughly as this will settle the soil into place. How to Grow Sedum Throughout the Season Growth Habit: Sedums are generally grouped into two categories; clumping and creeping. Green roofs can help with sustainable drainage, provide additional insulation to the building, mitigate the urban ‘heat island’ effect, absorb carbon dioxide, provide nectar for insects and provide habitat for wildlife more generally. For taller species, cut them back in May to early June for a bushier plant. Most stonecrop Sedums love the sun and they will grow happy and healthy if they get at least 5 hours of direct sun per day. Overwinter, I leave if the flower heads in place, the frost looks attractive on the flower heads and livens up the winter borders. If so, please consider making a small donation to help maintain and keep the website advert free with no intrusive pop ups or adverts. This has dark foliage and an upright growth. If you have a Sedum which does this, you can either trade it in for a newer model as many of the newer varieties do not do this, apply the Chelsea Chop earlier in the year, or stake it. THE OUTDOOR TYPE. It is very easy to propagate Sedums. In the spring the new growth is easily visible at the root as in the image above left, which indicates that is the time to cut the Sedum back, as in the image above right. A taller variety of stonecrop that grows up to 15cm in height, with foliage that turns reddish in the winter. provide eye-catching texture and structure with their waxy foliage and dainty, colorful flowers.Many varieties make low-maintenance indoor plants, where they will thrive with minimal care. Its blue-green evergreen foliage really brightens a rock garden or container. Add a crushed shell, grit or pebble mulch to reflect the sun’s light back onto the plant and to keep water away from around the crown of the plant. Keep an eye on the situation, and the stonecrop can be very easily trimmed back if you feel there is going to be an impact on a particularly delicate or low plant. Sedum is known for its ability to fill in the garden with thick, low-growing foliage—creeping sedum groundcovers can … There’s nothing like a sedum to add a splash of colour to your garden in autumn. Q I have heard something about buildings with Sedum roofs – are these anything to do with Sedum plants? For the best chances of flowering, allow temperatures to fall in winter – no lower than 13°C – and reduce watering. This article shows just how easy Sedums are to look after, and picks out just a few examples of the amazing variety that is available. Nearly all of the varieties require very sunny conditions, though orpine is a woodland plant that prefers some light shade. Sedum 'Purple Emperor' is such a plant. Most are stonecrops that thrive on the thin soils of sandy and rocky areas, including old quarries and abandoned urban sites. How to grow Sedum morganianum ‘Burrito’ Grow Sedum morganianum ‘Burrito’ in cactus compost, on a well-lit windowsill or similar, out of direct sunlight. Try using Sedum spectabile to mark the edge between the patio surface and a border, and stonecrops in the gaps between paving in less well trodden parts. It is available from specialist Alpine nurseries in green-leaved or variegated varieties. Val Bourne offers tips on growing Sedum 'Purple Emperor' Some plants have so much star quality that it shines out from the border. After planting, you can use a soft brush to remove any compost from the leaves, water well, and then just leave it to its own devices to create a beautiful feature for the patio table! The group divides into two main types, the low, carpet-forming stonecrops, and the rather taller, upright  ‘ice-plants’ that have whorls of larger succulent leaves on a thick, un-branched stem. Creating a Planting Location Find an area with 6 hours of direct sunlight. Her expertise stems from a passion to teach her children about the benefits of outdoor play and how to protect the environment. The crowns of ice-plants grown in heavier soils or less well-drained situations are prone to rot in the winter, though adding plenty of grit may help. Sedum pachyphyllum originates from the Crassulaceae family and is native to Mexico. At the end of each chapter there are key points and a helpful checklist at the end summarising the growing steps and timeline. In some varieties the flowering can be so dense that the leaves are completely hidden. These impressive plants are like succulents, as they retain moisture in their leaves and stems. The stonecrop is unlikely to affect established plants. Sedums are best planted where they will enjoy good sun with soil that is not too dry. Spread the seeds over the soil, so not bury them. Sedum is easily planted. Sedum pachyphyllum can reach a height of 11-inches or 30cm. Sedums, common name stone crop, are a wide-ranging genus of about 400 species with a variety of flowering colours and times. Indeed, this is a check worth carrying out at the garden centre before you even buy the plant – and if there is an infestation, take your business elsewhere! Another low-growing stonecrop variety. Even without roots, pieces cut off the ends of the creeping stems can simply be laid onto a suitable sandy, dampened but free-draining compost in pots, or sections inserted gently into the compost surface will root very quickly. Sedums are best planted where they will enjoy good sun with soil that is not too dry. Consider varieties that will give some height near the middle, with creeping varieties hanging over the edge of the pan. Once established, they are pretty much maintenance-free, though ice-plants will benefit from being dividing every four to five years. However, broken stems or cuttings can generally be persuaded to root in pots in controlled conditions at any time of the year. Available direct from The Sunday Gardener in paperback - for more information, buying options and reviews and how to buy click here. Common Sedum species used include Sedum acre, S. rupestre, and S. album.Delosperma could be tried in a sunny frost-free area. In the tropical border itself, try the architectural Hylotelephium telephium ‘Matrona’. I hope you have enjoyed the information on this website and found it useful. is a concise, informative guide containing all you need to know to grow a tasty crop of tomatoes. Creeping types stay low to the ground, spreading a few feet in either direction. Sedum acre and Sedum album are two of the commonest in the UK, and the yellow species that you have seen is almost certainly the former. A fully hardy, 10cm tall, mat-forming stonecrop with toothed leaves and attractive heads of golden-yellow flowers in the summer. Sedum look great when they are emerging with fresh strong green waxy foliage, beautiful just as the buds are emerging, and when fully in flower. It produces masses of red flowers from August right through to the first frosts of winter and provides nectar into the autumn for red admirals, small tortoiseshells and other late butterflies in the garden. Place the covered pots on a bright windowsill or in a shady spot in the garden and soon you will see new growth. Remove stems by ½ to force horizontal growth. It is an effective organic solution and completely safe for pets, children and wildlife. Sedums are therefore excellent for steep, rocky slopes with little soil. Each chapter covers a stage in tomato growing including growing from seed, what are grafted plants, growing under glass and outside, in containers, important advice and tips about feeding and watering together with troubleshooting and understanding tomato blight. They will tolerate shade but prefer a position in full sun if they are to bloom well. Inthe Summer they attract dozens of pollinators, bees and butterflies as soon as the flower heads form and they are easy to propagate. Sedum Tile Mats How to Plant? Ice-plants are great for adding colour and texture to planting on and around the patio, and ‘tropical-looking’ beds are popular. Some Sedums can survive in almost no soil at all, and they should always be planted into a light and open, well-drained soil. There are several Sedums with variegated foliage , this is called S.'Autumn Charm' which as the image shows, is very bright and light. This is a low growing Sedum which forms a matt, with white flowers and good autumn colour. The flat horizontal planes formed by its pale pink flower heads harmonise well with the bold vertical lines of plants such as Irises and strap-leaved, tropical-looking plants like Cordylines. Specialist Sedum and Alpine nurseries stock many more. It is great in rockeries and containers. Evergreen in warmer areas. They are all very easy to grow, requiring no attention once planted. Even after the foliage has died back, the skeletal ice-plant flowers look attractive through the winter, and can be left until the following spring when they can be cut off to tidy the plant in preparation for welcoming the new summer’s flowers. Most Sedums grow naturally well spaced, so do not overcrowd or allow them to shade each other: put the plants in about 2cm apart. Sedums are known as the butterfly's friend, and they really are a magnet to butterflies. Blooms freely from August through September, and is as popular with the butterflies and bees as the more usual purple-flowered Sedums. Rachel Brown is a senior writer at DIY Garden reporting on all things from gardening to fun with the kids. The creeping stonecrops are especially useful, forming a ground cover around taller plants in mixed plantings, and spilling over the edges to disguise the edges of the container. Sedums will also root if placed in a Vase or water and produce most interesting off shoots which can be rooted up for more plants. Stonecrops can be planted into crevices in rocks and garden walls, and they will spread across the surface. The native Sedum acre can often seen on derelict urban sites growing on old, crumbling concrete, where it seems just as happy as it is growing in its more natural cliff-top and rocky landscape homes.