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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>Bree</span> Mon, 08/15/2022 - 21:48
I avoid this by pinching off the tops of sedum in early June, keeping the plant at about 8" of height. The tops regrow and there are sturdy stalks and great flowers come fall. I garden in Zone 5 so if you grow under a warmer/longer climate, you may need to top yours off earlier.
<span>Janet Bosse</span> Fri, 10/04/2024 - 13:47
In zone 5, when do you stop pinching back the tops to 8" so they can form the flowers?
<span>K Bell</span> Mon, 05/23/2022 - 14:05
I use green garden twine to hold them up. I put a ring of the twine near the bottom and another closer to the top. Works fine and you can't really see the twine because it's hidden by leaves.
<span>Geri Reski</span> Wed, 08/25/2021 - 12:45
I took a chance and planted these a year ago in a barrel with Snapdragons. I had no clue what they were or how they would grow. W O W! They are amazing plants! Didn’t have any flowers last year but this year did. These things don’t mind the snow at all, in fact, the snow acts like an insulating blanket! Am in zone 7b in Pine, Arizona. Great and hardy plants!!!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 08/31/2021 - 15:22

We're glad to hear that your sedum grew so well! It's a lovely plant.

 <span>Geri Reski</span> Tue, 10/04/2022 - 09:09
After writing my comment, the elk moved in and ate them to soil level! And they were protected by chicken wire surrounding! Grrrrr! A few did grow back to some degree…
<span>Linda</span> Tue, 09/15/2020 - 14:46
We have sedum in front of our house like a hedge. By Labor Day, they are full of honey bees, butterflies, and a lot of different bees also. We have two beehives, and the bees love the sedum. I think I will trim it next June to keep it from flopping, but they look beautiful from the street.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 09/16/2020 - 13:59

It sounds like Mother Nature's finest make a bee-line for your house! Must be lovely to know you're so loved!

 <span>Amy</span> Tue, 09/15/2020 - 12:20
Didn't ever know what the proper name was. I was always told it was frogs tongue. Have it planted on both sides of my front steps the ones on the left always grow better they get the morning sun I guess is the difference. I love them this time of year the pinkish \ purpleish color flowers.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 09/16/2020 - 14:01

Well, we never heard Autumn Joy called Frog's Tongue! Thanks for that bit of folklore.

And there's more:Gayle Fisher writes this on this page http://mcminnlife.com/sedum-is-truly-an-autumn-joy/ : "...grandpa showed us how to make a frog tongue from the leaves. You break off a leaf, bruise it carefully with your fingers without breaking the top membrane, then you can stick your tongue inside and blow, and you have created a frog tongue. If you penetrated the membrane, you had to start over..."

Not sure how it works but it's a curious item. Spread the Autumn Joy!