Sedum
(Stonecrop)
I was about to
write that Sedums are useful for sunny, rocky spots, and then I remembered,
what do I care about utility? I get a plant because I like it, not
because I have a spot for it. Anyway, my spots were all filled up
years ago, and the plants are stacked on top of one another now.
These are a few
Sedums that we like. They're useful because they don't mind being
neglected until we find a place to stack them.
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Sedum makinoi 'Ogon' |
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Sedum
dasyphyllum has very small, pebble-like leaves and grows right
down on the deck, to only an inch or so tall. The foliage is blue-grey,
with pink tones. It bears its pink or pink-streaked white flowers sparsely.
Hardy to zone 7, it requires well-drained, gritty soil, especially in
wet-winter areas. Native to the southwestern US and the Meditteranean
region.
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A rare Sedum that
is endangered in its native Appalachians, Sedum glaucophyllum,
Cliff Stonecrop, is notable for its blue leaf rosettes and also
for the fact that the outer portions of the outer leaves turn bright
cherry red in sun, making it a striking groundcover. Zones 6-9.
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Sedum
makinoi 'Ogon' is pictured at the top of the page. A new sedum
from Japan that adds bright gold to the sedum palette, it's suitable
in full sun or as a brightener for part shade. Small, rounded leaves
form a dense mat, and yellow flowers enhance the golden effect all summer.
Zones 7 -9
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Sedum
multiceps is called Miniature Joshua Tree because, when
grown on the dry side, it does have the sparse, tortured look of a tiny
Joshua Tree, though its no more related to one than a fig. Described
as a subshrub, but not really woody. Hardy to zones 8-10. Algeria, northern
Africa. Grown with more water, it resembles other Sedums a bit more.
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This Sedum is
not widely sold, and when it is, it's usually the cultivar 'Angelina',
which this is not. I like this species version better, for a reason
hardly anybody mentions: during the cool months, the the foliage on
the lower portions of the stems turns a lovely cherry red. A hanging
basket situation or draping it over a wall would be good ways to display
this characteristic. The tight, blue-green, conifer-like foliage is
attractive even when it isn't cherry-red.
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Interesting
Sedum-like plant from the region around Dali, Xian, and the Stone
Forest in Yunnan province of western China. Inch-long succulent leaves
are yellow, orange, red, or brown, depending on environment and time
of year. Good in a rockery for its unusual color and texture, but
care should be taken that easily-broken off segments aren't allowed
to take root in places they're not wanted. Still, they're shallowly-rooted,
so easily removed. Six-inch spikes bear white flowers in late summer.
Zone 7
Sinocrassula
yunnanense 4" pot $4.00 Limit 1
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