March 2010 Plant of the Month —
Sedum

Sedum are most often considered to be warm weather plants, but the genus will surprise you in the height winter and even now as the days are growing longer. This mixture of sedum is on display at the UT Gardens at the West Tennessee AgReseach and Education Center in Jackson. Photo by J. Reeves.
Download this image

Submitted by Matthew Morrow

As the weather begins to warm, we are turning our thoughts toward annuals and other warm weather plants. Sedum are most often considered to be warm weather plants, but the genus will surprise you in the height winter and even now as the days are growing longer.

The first time I noticed the beautiful winter interest of sedum, I patted it on the head and whispered, “Nice going, little guy.” Moving past the fact that I anthropomorphize my plants, many species of sedum will add a sparkle of color to your cold weather landscape.

Not all of these plants look their best in winter, and some disappear for the coldest months. However, you can trust some species to hang around and look spiffy in the cold weather. Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’ is the first of these. This vigorous little ground cover has become very well established in garden centers and gardens these last few years. The chartreuse foliage turns a vivid mix of orange and light-plum in the winter months, as if it is setting itself aflame to keep warm.

Less well known is S. bithynicum (syn. S. palladium var. bithynicum), or Turkish sedum. This 2 inch high succulent can be downright aggressive, but the ice-blue color of its foliage makes the rampage seem charming. It is easily pulled. Tight clusters of foliage make the sedum appear to be a carpet of little balls that change from blue to a very interesting pink when temperatures drop. This sedum planted around a red twig Dogwood (like Cornus sanguine ‘Winter Flame’) can be striking. S. album is an old favorite that keeps a solid green all through the winter. ‘Coral Carpet’ turns red in the summer.

For a nice red-purple in the winter, many S. spurium cultivars are available. ‘Dragons Blood’ is a popular choice, although it struggles when the weather gets hot and humid.

All sedum require excellent drainage, a good amount of sun and little water in winter. The sedums mentioned are suitable for zones 3 to 8 except for S. spurium, which has a range of zone 3 to 7. You should also try to keep leaves from accumulating  on top of them, or the plants may rot.

Sedums propagate easily, so mix and match them and have some fun.


Matthew Morrow is a member of the UT Gardens horticultural team. The University of Tennessee Gardens located in Knoxville and Jackson are part of the UT Institute of Agriculture. Their mission is to foster appreciation, education and stewardship of plants through garden displays, collections, educational programs and research trials. The gardens are open during all seasons and free to the public.

###

Contact:

Dr. Susan Hamilton, Director of the UT Gardens, 865-974-7324

Patricia McDaniels, UTIA Marketing and Communications Services,
615-835-4570