Sedum Autumn Joy
Sedum is an interesting succulent plant that adds color and interest to the garden. There are hundreds of varieties of sedums and most have fleshy succulent leaves and star-shaped flowers that attract butterflies and other pollinators.
What Sedums Like and Dislike
Likes: Sedums like lots of sun (at least 6 hours of full sun a day) and little watering. A few varieties will tolerate partial shade. They tolerate poor soil as long as it is well draining.
Dislikes: Clay or compacted soil creates standing water which to root rot. If the soil is poor draining, you can add some sand or perlite.
Characteristics
There are creeping sedums that can be used as groundcovers. Then there are taller varieties that can grow 2 feet tall and wide. The tall varieties don’t spread, but really look awesome in a mass planting. The creeping varieties do spread.
Creeping Ground Cover Sedum: great for rock walls and gardens and have colorful foliage and produce brilliant, star-shaped flowers in summer.
Lemon Coral Sedum. Photo Credit: Proven Winner
Tall Sedum: Provide late-summer color with both foliage and flowers. Recent varieties have leaves in shades of copper, dusky mauve, and dark purple. The taller sedums are nice for container planting.
If you’ve never planted a sedum, give them a try. They are gorgeous, super easy to care for and don’t need a lot of water. What’s not to love about them…especially their blooms and foliage.