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How to Grow Low-Growing & Upright Sedum (Stonecrop) in Your Garden

Image Credit:
Pixabay
Botanical Name
Sedum spp., Hylotelephium spp.
Grown as
Perennial
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Bloom Time
Summer
Fall
Flower Color
Orange
Pink
Red
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Fall Color
Long Blooming
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Songbirds
Plant Type
Flowers
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Sedums have it all! This perennial plant has succulent green foliage and produces clusters of star-shaped flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall. It’s easy to care for and beloved by pollinators, too! Here’s how to grow sedum in your garden.

Perennial plants don’t get much easier than sedum, a genus of succulents with fleshy stems and succulent leaves—also called “stonecrop” or “live-forever.” A hardy plant that grows well in shallow soil, there is a sedum variety for almost every garden.

We like to divide sedum into two main categories based on the plants’ growth habits: low-growing sedum and upright sedum.

  • Low–growing sedum spreads along the ground, reaching only a few inches (or less) in height. This makes them perfect for use as a ground cover along paths, in rock gardens, or cascading down a stone wall.
  • Tall or upright sedum tends to form tall, upright clumps that produce large flower heads in tight masses of tiny reddish-pink flowers. Their height and attractive flowers make them good candidates for border gardens or pollinator gardens. A few years ago, upright sedum was reclassified to another genus, Hylotelephium, but it is still commonly referred to as a “sedum.”

Planting

Where to Plant Sedum

Sedum enjoy full sun but will tolerate some shade. If growing sedum in an area that gets long, cold winters (Zone 5 and colder), plant in full sun to improve overwintering capability.

Sedum grows well in poor or sandy soil, but it’s important to have well-draining soil to avoid fungal diseases. It is very susceptible to root rot if grown in soil that holds too much moisture. Overly rich soil can also encourage leggy growth, which can result in upright sedum varieties becoming top-heavy when they bloom.

When to Plant Sedum

  • Sedum is usually bought in plugs or pots and transplanted into the garden. The best time to plant sedum is in the spring—after the threat of frost but before the heat of summer kicks in.
  • Plant sedum seeds in early spring in well-draining, average to rich soil. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)

Sedum with yellow flowers

How to Plant Sedum

  • Space plants between 6 inches and 2 feet apart, depending on the variety. Low-growing sedums will readily spread to fill any gaps, while upright sedums tend to stay more compact.
  • Planting full plants or divisions: Dig a hole deep enough so that the top of the root ball is level with the surface of the soil, then place the plant in the hole and fill in around it. Be careful not to bury the stems of upright sedum, as this can lead to rot.
  • Planting cuttings: Like other succulents, sedum can be readily propagated via cuttings. Simply place the cut end into soil, and the cutting should have no trouble rooting under proper lighting and watering conditions.

Growing

  • Once established, sedum plants require little care. During the summer, check your plants regularly to make sure they are not too dry and water (sparingly) if needed. As long as your area gets rain every couple of weeks at the least, sedum shouldn’t need any extra watering.
  • After flowering, cut back the plants to maintain their shape or contain them in one area.
    • Tip: For added winter interest, leave the flowers of upright sedum alone after they bloom. They will form attractive seed heads.
  • Remember to divide your plants in the spring or fall to control their spread. Throughout the summer, divisions and cuttings root readily.

Sedum

Pests and Problems

  • Mealybugs
  • Scale insects
  • Slugs
  • Snails
  • Birds, deer, squirrels, and voles may nibble on the succulent foliage of sedum.

Types

  • Sedum humifusum makes for a great ground cover and has beautiful, bright yellow flowers
  • ‘Brilliant’, ‘Autumn Fire’, and ‘Autumn Joy’ upright sedum (Hylotelephium spectabile, aka Sedum spectabile) add bursts of bright pink and magenta to your garden
  • ‘Blue Spruce’ (Sedum reflexum) is a low-growing sedum with blue-green, spruce-like foliage and yellow flowers

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Tammy</span> Sun, 09/06/2026 - 09:53
What can I do to help my sedums survive the winter after a late summer/early Fall transplant. I have a number of tall sedums that I had to dig up in early summer because of a yard reno. They’ve been in temporary garden pots since then. It’s September and cooler (65-80 degrees daytime, 65+ degrees at night) so I want to pop them in the ground now even though they are starting to flower. They’re still very healthy but they won’t survive the winter in the pots. I’m in zone 6b.
<span>Debi Weirauch</span> Wed, 07/08/2026 - 10:25
I love sedum but I have a problem with it making several baby plants. It is getting out of had. Can I spray them with something or do they have to be pulled out?
<span>Diana</span> Mon, 06/19/2023 - 10:49
I was just gifted a 10-12 inch pot of stonecrop (friend bought it on clearance from a big box store.) It contains several variety of stonecrop plants densely planted in a pretty pot that has several drain holes in the bottom. Should I transplant all or some of the plants directly into the ground in an appropriate (sunny, well drained) area or leave the plants in the pot? It’s mid-June, zone 6 with forecasted temps about 90 degrees with lows in the mid 60’s for the net 10 days. Thanks for any advice you might share.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/jennifer-keating">Jennifer Keating</a> Tue, 06/20/2023 - 08:30

If you keep the pot well-watered, your stonecrop should survive. Typically, the best time of year to transplant stonecrop plants is in the spring or fall, but if you choose to do so now, please make sure that they have adequate amounts of water through the summer months as they are building their root system. Happy planting!

 <span>Nancy</span> Sat, 10/22/2022 - 14:01
When should I cut back my sedum or should it be cut back. We are now in last October so not sure if I should cut them back or what to do for winter.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 11/04/2022 - 14:04

Cut back sedum once the flowers have finished blooming—or feel free to leave the flowers on the plants for added winter garden interest! The birds may also appreciate their seed heads during the colder months.

 <span>Dan Schwartz</span> Sat, 12/02/2023 - 13:01
Didn’t know we had red sedum until they grew this year. We moved in our Michigan home in November and there was just dirt along our front sidewalk and voila these beautiful flowers bloomed. We don’t need to cut or trim for winter?
<span>Judy</span> Tue, 07/26/2022 - 08:28
The leaves on my Sedum plants have large pink spots on them. What is this? What should I do about it?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 07/29/2022 - 16:26

It could be a minor bacterial or fungal disease. Remove the infected leaves and monitor the plants for further infection.

 <span>Kathleen Fargione</span> Thu, 05/19/2022 - 16:11
I have upright sedum. They are beautiful in the spring - perfectly shaped balls, but as they get bigger they flop and I have to stake them to hold them up. Is there anything that I can do to keep them shorter so they don't flop?