Sedums is also called stonecrop are
succulents they have thick, fleshy leaves filled with water. There are an enormous
number of them, most of which are good rock garden plants, especially the low
growing ones. Some of these are also good ground covers. I find the larger
species very effective in borders. Most species have attractive flowers; some
are also grown for their leaves, which are colorful and variegated. Moreover sedum demonstrates a wide variation
in chromosome numbers, and polyploidy is common. Thus, chromosome number is an
important taxonomic feature.
Sedum acre (gold moss) is a
yellow flowering prostrate creeper that is ideal as an edging, in rock gardens,
and even in cracks between paving stones. S. spurium forms a six inches mat and
blooms in a variety of colors. S. kamtschaticum forms clumps a foot high or
less and bears yellow flowers in the latter half of the summer. Good border
types include S. spectabile, whose varieties Meteor and Brilliant bear reddish
pink flowers in late summer, and Autumn Joy, with pink flowers in fall that
turn a deep mahogany and leave seeds heads that are pretty all winter. The plants
have water-storing leaves and their flowers frequently have 5 petals, seldom 4
or 6. There are typically twice as many stamens as petals. The leaves of most
stonecrops are edible, excepting Sedum rubrotinctum, though toxicity has also
been reported in some other species.
Sedums need good drainage, especially
in winter but are otherwise not fussy about soil requirements. They are very
easy to propagate by stem or leaf cuttings or from seed. Division is easy but
not often necessary. Sedum is a large
genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are usually
recognized as stonecrops. Numerous sedums are cultivated as garden plants, due
to their interesting and good-looking appearance and hardiness. Furthermore, sedum
can be used to provide a roof covering in green roofs, where they are preferred
to grasses.
