The genus Sedum contains more than 450 different species, all succulents that are extremely tough and well-suited for dry conditions. Commonly called stonecrop, many of these plants have a low growth habit, making them especially useful in rock gardens, borders or other locations where you need an attractive, short planting. They are also adaptable for growing in containers, either planted alone or in combination with other plants. Sedum hardiness varies by variety, but in general they are suitable for U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones up to zone 9.
Some sedum varieties produce long, trailing stems covered with thick, succulent leaves. These plants are useful for hanging baskets, where their long stems hang below the pot, and as ground covers, where trailing stems cover the ground as the plant spreads. Good examples include Sedum kamtschaticum, also called orange stonecrop, which produces orange-yellow flowers and reddish fruits, and Sedum morganianum. The latter is also called burro's tail and is a popular choice for hanging baskets where its long stems covered with gray-green, fleshy leaves hang straight down and resemble living chains.
Some sedums grow in a constrained pattern that eventually produces a plant with a mounded form. These types are especially useful in a rock garden or as part of a low, mixed planting. Sedum cauticola, a Japanese native, forms a mound 4 to 6 inches high and up to 1 1/2 feet wide. It has blue-gray leaves and produces pink to rosy-red flowers in late summer or early fall. Sedum x rubrotinctum, a Mexican hybrid, has fat, round leaves resembling jelly beans. It reaches a height of 6 to 8 inches at maturity and develops yellow flowers in spring. The cultivar Sedum x rubrotinctum "Aurora" has unusual, bright pink leaves.
Many sedum varieties are very low-growing, forming a mat of foliage as they spread. Several cultivars in the group Sedum album share this characteristic. These include "Coral Carpet," reaching a height of only 1 to 3 inches and producing tiny white of pink flowers in early summer, and "Faro Form," which is less than 1 inch in height and forms a low carpet of green leaves that turn a bronze-red color during summer. Another variety, Sedum spurium "Dragon's Blood," develops into a dense mat of red-edged green leaves that is 2 to 4 inches in height. Leaves on this cultivar turn a deep burgundy color in the fall.
Although most sedums prefer a hot, sunny location, several varieties are tolerant of partial shade. Sedum glaucophyllum grows well in areas that receive some shade, forming a low mat of light-green foliage 2 to 4 inches high. "Lidakense," a shade-tolerant cultivar of Sedum cauticola, spreads to form a 2- to 4-inch-high cushion of green leaves with purple edges. It develops clusters of pink flowers resembling stars in late summer. Another species, Sedum sexangulare, tolerates shade well. It has small, green leaves that spiral around its 3-inch-long stems, with tiny yellow flowers appearing in early summer.
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images