The upright Hylotelephium types hold their flower heads well after drying and are used widely in autumn and winter flower craft. The method matters: some techniques preserve the colour, some the shape, and one combines both.
Part of the Complete Sedum Guide.
Which sedums dry well
The flat-topped cymes of Hylotelephium telephium, H. spectabile, and the compact SunSparkler series hold their structure after drying. 'Autumn Joy', 'Matrona', 'Brilliant', and 'Purple Emperor' are the cultivars most often used. The creeping mat sedums have smaller scattered inflorescences that wither rather than hold, and are not worth drying.
Sedum foliage does not dry well. The fleshy leaves shrivel and drop. Cut and dry the flower heads alone, and pair them with grasses or seed heads for bulk.
When to cut for drying
Timing is critical. Too early and the flower heads collapse; too late and the colour has faded and the stems are brittle.
- Cut when the majority of florets are fully open and the colour is at its peak, typically late August to mid-September depending on climate and cultivar.
- Cut when the colour has begun to deepen into its autumn shade but before frost, for the darker bronzed effect that most people want for wreaths.
- Do not cut after frost. Frost damage turns the heads brown within a day and no drying method will restore the colour.
Cut stems 30 to 40 cm long, with the main flower head and one or two side branches attached. A sharp secateur at an angle, midday on a dry day with no dew.
Air drying
The default method, and the one that retains the autumn rusty-pink to bronze colour best.
- Strip all foliage from the cut stem. The leaves will rot against the stem and turn the whole bundle mouldy.
- Bundle 5 to 8 stems together with a rubber band at the cut ends. The band will tighten as the stems shrink.
- Hang bundles upside down in a dry, dark, well-ventilated space at 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. An attic, a spare room with the curtains drawn, or a garage in dry weather work well.
- Leave for 2 to 3 weeks. The flower heads are dry when the stem snaps cleanly between your fingers rather than bending.
Darkness matters. Sedum heads dried in sunlight fade to straw; the same stems dried in the dark keep deep rose, bronze, or burgundy colour for a year or more.
Silica gel
For the best colour retention, especially with the pink-flowered cultivars before they have aged into autumn bronze.
- Cut heads with 5 cm of stem only.
- Lay in an airtight container on a bed of silica gel craft desiccant.
- Pour more silica gel gently over and between the florets until fully covered.
- Seal and leave for 7 to 10 days.
- Pour off carefully and brush residual silica from between the florets with a soft brush.
Silica-dried heads have to be mounted onto false stems (florist wire wrapped in floral tape) for arrangements, because the short stubs will not carry weight.
Glycerine preservation
Produces flexible, slightly darkened heads that do not shatter with handling. Suitable for wreaths that will be moved regularly.
- Mix one part glycerine to two parts warm water in a tall jar.
- Crush the cut ends of the stems lightly with a hammer and stand them in the solution.
- Keep the jar in a cool dark place for 2 to 3 weeks until the heads feel supple and slightly oily.
- Remove, wipe, and hang briefly upside down to drain.
Glycerine darkens the colour noticeably; expect rose to shift to mahogany and pink to deepen to plum. The heads last for years and handle well in high-traffic arrangements.
Storage
Store dried sedum heads in a dry dark box lined with acid-free tissue. Keep away from humid rooms; absorbed moisture brings mould within a fortnight. Check stored material every few months and discard any head with dark spots before they spread.