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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>Cindy Pumar</span> Fri, 02/24/2017 - 15:22
We have a roof garden at work in Jersey with sedium plants in flats all around the edge. Over the past 2 years they have not flowered and look lifeless. How do I get them back to life?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 02/27/2017 - 10:23

Hi, Cindy: Any number of things could be going on here. First of all, since they "look lifeless," make sure that they are still alive before you spend much time doing anything. They could be root-bound; are the flats so crowded that you need to thin out your plants? The soil could be depleted; mix in some organic fertilizer or matter recommended by your nursery. They could be too dry; while sedum doesn't need much water, its needs do increase when evaporation levels are high. Finally, they could be getting baked--an overlooked problem in roof gardens. Sedum can certainly thrive in full sun, and on rooftops it's true that additional air circulation can help to cool, but at the same time the constant solar radiation (even on overcast days) being absorbed by the rooftop itself can create an oven effect that basically can bake plants. So, check the roots and soil, make sure that there is enough water, and consider doing a test in which you put up a vertical screen (just a cut-apart trashbag between two dowels or sticks) to create a partial sun environment when the sun is low in the sky at beginning or end of day (the screen will create shade). Sometimes cutting down on the sun just a little can offset the baking effect. Thanks for asking and good luck!

 <span>Elizabeth</span> Sun, 02/19/2017 - 13:49
Do you know how early in spring (zone 6) I can plant sedum tile in the ground? If there are cold nights and/or a late frost, will I need to cover them?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 02/21/2017 - 16:10

Most plants like to be set into relatively warm soil—say, 50 to 55°F. Once they take these are apparently, generally, pretty cold hardy. We would advise waiting to avoid the risk of frost. Or plan to protect them.

 <span>Judie</span> Sun, 01/08/2017 - 13:42
I planted several large flats of "Sew and Grow sedum last summer. They, for the past several months, have been invaded by weeds that I cannot seem to remove by hand. I would like to save them if possible.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 01/10/2017 - 13:49

Try digging up the whole clump and weeding through it before replanting it (perhaps in another area, or at the least, into thoroughly weeded soil).

 <span>Joanne Garner</span> Sun, 12/25/2016 - 21:16
For Christmas I received a planter filled with assorted sedum plants. I live in Western North Carolina and will have to keep it indoors. Does it need sunlight or will daylight in the room do? Also can it take a warm environment or does it need cool? How often does it need watered?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 01/05/2017 - 12:16


Sedum is a succulent, so it appreciates a coarser potting soil (formulated for cacti and succulents), drier conditions (water every other week unless exceptionally dry), and plenty of sunlight. Bear in mind that some sedums overwinter indoors better than others, so consider the variety you have.

 

 <span>Jim Bennett</span> Thu, 11/24/2016 - 23:04
Hi, I've planted a large area of yellow Carlton daffodils between a row of Emerald Green arborvitae and a low retaining wall on the left side of my driveway. The daffodils put on their 6 week show - then what? What will provide beauty there until the Daffs are ready to pop up next spring?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 11/29/2016 - 15:34

Hi, Jim, It's difficult for us to make a recommendation of this sort. Scroll down here to "Flowers" and peruse some of the options here: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/growing-guides

You should go to a nursery in the spring and wander around. See what you like among the annuals and the perennials. Consider the plants' needs and the sunlight that this area gets . . . talk to the folks there. Maybe bring a picture of your setting with you so they can see the kind of space you have. This should be a fun adventure—we have little doubt that making a choice will be one of your best days!

Thanks for your enthusiasm for the Almanac!