Genus Reference
Sedum
Stonecrops for containers, green roofs, and rockeries — identification and care.
The Complete Sedum Guide: Stonecrop Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Full guide to the genus Sedum (stonecrop): taxonomy, the Hylotelephium segregate, the four growth forms, cold hardiness, propagation, toxicity, and links to species and cultivar pages.
Read the guide →Species & Cultivars
All articles in this section
Sedum Leaves Dropping: Causes and What to Do
Sedum morganianum drops leaves at the slightest touch — that is normal for the species. For other sedums, leaf drop signals overwatering, root rot, drought, repotting shock, or temperature stress. The leaf texture identifies the cause.
Sedum Not Flowering: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
Sedum fails to flower because of insufficient light, excess nitrogen, no cold dormancy period for border types, or a plant that is not yet old enough. Identify the cause from growth habit and cultural history, then correct the condition before the next season.
Sedum Leaves Falling Off: Mature Drop, Seasonal Die-Back, and Crown Rot
Mat-forming sedum sheds interior stems seasonally, Hylotelephium drops all its leaves in autumn as part of its deciduous cycle, and tender species lose leaves rapidly after frost. Each pattern has a distinct texture, timing, and location. Crown rot is the only emergency.
Sedum Dying Back: Normal Dormancy vs Real Decline
Many hardy sedum species die back to ground level in winter — this is normal dormancy, not death. Pathological dieback from root rot, vine weevil, or heat stress presents differently. This guide distinguishes the two and explains when to act.
Sedum Winter Damage: Frost and Crown Rot Diagnosis and Recovery
Sedum suffers two types of winter damage: frost damage on tender species, and crown rot from prolonged wet substrate on any species. They look different, progress differently, and require different responses. Substrate drainage before winter prevents both.
Sedum Leaves Turning Yellow: Causes and Recovery
Yellow sedum leaves are caused by overwatering, root rot, drought, low light, or normal basal senescence. Leaf texture and which part of the plant is yellowing point to the correct fix.
Aphids on Sedum: Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Aphids on sedum cluster at growing tips and on flower buds, causing distorted new growth, sticky honeydew, and sooty mould. Infestations respond well to early intervention with insecticidal soap, water jets, or introducing natural predators.
Sedum Spreading Everywhere: How to Control Invasive Mat-Formers
Mat-forming sedum spreads by rooting at every node and by fragmenting into viable propagules. Sedum acre and S. album are the most aggressive garden spreaders. Physical removal, buried edging, and species selection are the most effective containment strategies.
Sedum Brown Tips: Causes and How to Fix Them
Brown tips on sedum leaves are caused by drought, sunburn, cold damage, fertiliser burn, or root rot. Tip texture and the conditions the plant has been through identify the correct fix.
Sedum Leggy and Stretched: Causes and How to Fix Them
Sedum stretches when it does not receive enough light. Internodes elongate, leaves become more widely spaced, and trailing types lose their compact beaded appearance. Brighter light arrests new growth; pruning and re-rooting restores a compact plant.
Mealybugs on Sedum: Identification, Treatment, and Prevention
Mealybugs colonise sedum leaf axils and root zones, causing yellowing, growth stalling, and sticky honeydew. Above-ground colonies respond to isopropyl alcohol treatment; root mealybugs require unpotting, root washing, and substrate replacement.
Sedum pachyphyllum (Jelly Bean Plant): Profile & Care
Field profile of Sedum pachyphyllum, the jelly bean plant: club-shaped leaves, red sun-stress tips, easy leaf propagation, and how to spot its lookalikes.
Sedum confusum (Lesser Mexican Stonecrop): Profile & Care
Field profile of Sedum confusum, the lesser Mexican stonecrop: spreading mats, glossy green leaves, yellow cymes, and how to separate it from S. palmeri.
Sedum adolphi: Golden Sedum, Coppertone's Near-Twin
Cultivation notes for Sedum adolphi (golden sedum), a tender Mexican stem-succulent with yellow-orange sun-flushed foliage, closely related to S. nussbaumerianum.
Sedum rubrotinctum: Jellybean Plant Care and Identification
Identification, cultivation, and propagation of Sedum rubrotinctum, the jellybean plant, including notes on its hybrid origin and mild toxicity.
Sedum album: White Stonecrop Identification and Care
Identification, cultivation, and propagation of Sedum album, the white stonecrop, an evergreen European mat-former for green roofs and dry walls.
Dragon's Blood Sedum: The Deep-Red Two-Row Stonecrop Cultivar
Cultivation notes for Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood', a hardy mat-forming cultivar valued for deep burgundy foliage and red summer flowers.
Sedum 'Autumn Fire': The Sturdier 'Autumn Joy'
Cultivation notes for Sedum 'Autumn Fire' (Hylotelephium telephium 'Autumn Fire'): an improved 'Autumn Joy' selection with stronger stems, deeper flower colour, and a longer autumn display.
Sedum spurium: Two-Row Stonecrop and Its Cultivars
Cultivation notes for Sedum spurium (Phedimus spurius, two-row stonecrop), a hardy Caucasian mat-former that is the parent of Dragon's Blood, John Creech, Tricolor, and many other cultivars.
Sedum kamtschaticum: Russian Stonecrop for Sun or Part Shade
Cultivation notes for Sedum kamtschaticum (Russian stonecrop, orange stonecrop), a cold-hardy Asian species with deep yellow flowers and bronze autumn foliage.
Sedum palmeri: Palmer's Sedum Identification and Care
Sedum palmeri is a borderline-hardy rosette-stemmed sedum from northeastern Mexico, notable for bright yellow winter flowers. Identification, cultivation, propagation.
Lemon Coral Sedum: Care for the Chartreuse Bedding Stonecrop
Cultivation notes for Sedum mexicanum 'Lemon Coral', a tender chartreuse needle-leaf stonecrop used as a summer bedding annual and container filler.
Sedum: What a Doozy of a Genus
A note on the 'doozy' nickname sometimes applied to sedum, plus a short list of genuinely surprising facts about the genus that surprise new collectors.
Sedum sarmentosum: Stringy Stonecrop, Fast-Spreader, and Regional Invasive
Cultivation notes for Sedum sarmentosum (stringy stonecrop, graveyard moss), an East Asian mat-former notable for exceptional growth rate, shade tolerance, and invasive behaviour in parts of the southeastern US.
How to Dry Sedum for Wreaths and Winter Arrangements
How to dry sedum flower heads and stems for wreaths, winter arrangements, and craft use, including air-drying, silica, and glycerine methods.
Sedum dasyphyllum: Corsican Stonecrop and Its Bead-Leaved Charm
Cultivation notes for Sedum dasyphyllum (Corsican stonecrop, thick-leaf stonecrop), a compact Mediterranean mat-former with tiny blue-grey bead leaves.
Sedum 'Dazzleberry': Compact Magenta-Flowered Hylotelephium Hybrid
Cultivation notes for Sedum 'Dazzleberry' (SunSparkler series), a compact modern Hylotelephium hybrid with smoky purple foliage and raspberry-red flower heads.
Sedum 'Angelina': Chartreuse Needle-leaf Stonecrop
Cultivation notes for Sedum rupestre 'Angelina', a hardy chartreuse-needled mat-former with orange winter colour, widely used in green roofs and gravel gardens.
Sedum 'Blue Spruce': Blue-Grey Needle-Leaf Stonecrop
Cultivation notes for Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce' (also sold as S. rupestre 'Blue Spruce'), a hardy mat-former with blue-grey conifer-like foliage.
When to Transplant Sedum: Seasonal Timing and Why It Matters
Best times to transplant sedum: spring and early autumn for hardy types, active growth for tender types, with notes on summer moves and soil preparation.
Sedum cauticola (Hylotelephium cauticola): Japanese Blue Stonecrop
Sedum cauticola, now Hylotelephium cauticola, is a compact Japanese sedum with blue foliage and pink autumn flowers. Identification, cultivation, and notes.
Sedum nussbaumerianum: Coppertone Stonecrop
Cultivation notes for Sedum nussbaumerianum (coppertone stonecrop), a tender Mexican rosette species valued for its orange sun-colour and use in mixed succulent pots.
How to Pronounce Sedum
How to pronounce sedum: SEE-dum, with IPA. A short note on the Latin origin and common mispronunciations.
Sedum 'Lime Zinger': Chartreuse Foliage with Red-Edged Leaves
Cultivation notes for Sedum 'Lime Zinger' (SunSparkler series), a compact herbaceous perennial with chartreuse foliage edged in red and pink autumn flowers.
John Creech Sedum: Compact Late-Flowering Groundcover
Sedum spurium (now Phedimus spurius) 'John Creech' is a compact late-flowering mat-former named for the US National Arboretum director. Identification, care, and use.
Sedum ternatum: The Native Woodland Stonecrop of Eastern North America
Cultivation notes for Sedum ternatum (wild stonecrop), the only native North American sedum that genuinely prefers woodland shade, suitable for damp shaded rock gardens.
Blood Dragon Sedum: Identification and Care
Blood Dragon is a compact Hylotelephium cultivar with deep-red foliage and magenta flowers. Identification, cultivation, and how it differs from related sedums.
Sedum telephium (Hylotelephium telephium): Orpine Identification and Care
Identification, cultivation, and history of Sedum telephium (now Hylotelephium telephium), the orpine, parent species of Autumn Joy and most garden sedums of the tall kind.
SunSparkler Sedum: Compact Modern Hybrids for the Front Border
The SunSparkler series of Hylotelephium hybrids: breeding background, identification, and how they differ from classic Autumn Joy types.
Sedum acre: Biting Stonecrop and the Type Species of the Genus
Cultivation notes for Sedum acre (biting stonecrop, goldmoss), the European type species of the genus, notable for yellow summer flowers, aggressive spread, and mild piperidine-alkaloid toxicity.
Sedum lineare: Needle Stonecrop and Its Variegated Form
Cultivation notes for Sedum lineare (needle stonecrop), an East Asian mat-forming species with narrow green leaves, best known in gardens through its white-variegated form.
How to Divide Sedum: Timing, Method, and When Not To
When and how to divide sedum: which types need it, spring and autumn timing, technique, and why the creeping species rarely need dividing at all.
How Tall Do Sedums Grow?
Typical mature heights of sedum species by growth form, from 5 cm mat-formers to 80 cm upright Hylotelephium clumps.
How Big Do Sedums Get?
Mature spread and overall footprint of sedum species, from single-plant mats of 60 cm across to Hylotelephium clumps of 80 cm, with notes on container sizing.
Sedum morganianum: Burro's Tail and How to Keep It Intact
Cultivation notes for Sedum morganianum (burro's tail, donkey tail), a tender Mexican pendant trailer used in hanging baskets and known for its fragile jellybean leaves.
Where to Buy Sedum: Reputable Sources for Stonecrop
How to source healthy sedum plants: specialist nurseries, society growers, garden centres, mail order, and what to look for in a quality plant.
Creeping Sedum: The Mat-Forming Stonecrops Explained
What 'creeping sedum' means, which species fall into the group, and how to pick and grow them for groundcover, green roofs, and rock gardens.