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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>John Stoia</span> Wed, 04/29/2015 - 16:39
the sedum has spread out into two plants, i would like to dig one out and replant it in a different area. what is the way to do this?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 05/01/2015 - 10:46

Spring is the perfect time to divide sedum. Cut the plant down to about 6 inches. Water well for a few days before you move it. Prepare the planting site by digging a hole 6 to 8 inches deep. When ready to divide sedum, dig straight down and lightly loosen the soil around the sedum's roots. Immediately plant in the new spot and water well for the first few weeks.

 <span>Msterry</span> Wed, 04/01/2015 - 22:14
Hi, I live in Southern California and have been trying to grow tri-colored sedum in the parkway between the street and the sidewalk in very sandy soil that I amended with some compost. (But not a lot.) I read that this kind of ground cover is so easy to grow, but I've been trying to grow it for a year and a half, and it has actually died back from the amount I planted. I think I was overwatering it at first (twice a week), now I may be under-watering it (once a week). And the area is filled with weeds (clover-like stuff which is impossible to pull because there are so many and they have thin stems, crab grass, dandelions and more) that I have been pulling out (except for the clover). I don't know how to kill the weeds without also killing the sedum. And I don't know how to get the sedum to grow. Can you help me?
<span>S Dalby</span> Mon, 03/30/2015 - 13:34
Will the seed heads that I have on my plants at the end of winter grow? I never cut my plants until the spring in case they will reseed.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 03/31/2015 - 10:17

You have the right idea by cutting the plants in the spring, but no, they will not reseed.

 <span>Bea Cureton</span> Sun, 10/19/2014 - 16:08
can they be brought inside for the winter? They are the Angelina Sedum. They do not bloom, but they spread anywhere can touch dirt. If I can bring them inside, where are the special caring for them? Thanks
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 10/20/2014 - 13:15

Hi, Bea, like most sedum, Angelina is winter hardy. Specifically, this is hardy in Zones 3 to 11—just about everywhere. You could surround it will a bit of winter mulch (leaves), which almost any plant appreciates, but special consideration is not required. See here for details (scroll down): http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=C908-3

 <span>Skyler Heinz</span> Tue, 10/14/2014 - 12:01
I live in Washington State and I want to grow a sedum plant for my plant biology class. I want to get sedum brilliant but I don't know if it will grow in my lawn. Should I plant it in a corner of my lawn and put it next to the sidewalk so it can get full sunlight?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 10/15/2014 - 10:48

Hi Skyler,

Seedums need full sun. Find the sunniest spot and prepare the soil with a bit of compost. Fall is a good time to plant seedlings but if you have seeds you need to wait until spring to plant.

 <span>C Macdonald</span> Thu, 10/09/2014 - 18:34
I have just cut back our Sedum for the winter. Can it be dried to use in vases or does it need water like other cut flowers?