Sedum

Autumn Joy from El Presidio.  Stock footage from my older camera.

An experiment really.....from Wisconsin.  We all do this at some point.  We take a plant from a different gardening zone and try it in our own.  And this is what I had done with this particular plant.  There are MANY varieties of sedum that are better suited for our Tucson area. I saw this growing next to my Mom and Dad's house and thought, why not?  It had thick succulent looking leaves and looked like it would do well here.  So I took several clippings and put a moist paper towel around the ends in a ziploc bag right before I boarded my plane back to Tucson.  When I arrived back home, I stuck them in some soil in a pot.  At first it didn't look hopeful, but the new transplants snapped back and did very well.  Now this plant had my attention.....so I put it into the ground once the roots were established in the pots and watched it grow and grow.  Our freeze this winter killed the plant to the ground, which is weird because it was from Wisconsin, but I see that it's coming back again in the place I put it.  I placed this sedum in indirect light to protect from the extreme afternoon sun.  It is under a ramada that is fairly shaded.  While it has grown, it hasn't "gone to town" in the area I placed it. Perhaps this will be the year?  For a groundcover, this is a plant that I would use for a seasonal flare to add punch to an already hardy and existing groundcover.   I use this plant with my tropical spiderplants, elephant ears, caladiums, and philodendrons. I had thought to use this as a groundcover like my parents did back home, but it seems this is better in pots and planters with other plants.

Here is more info from Marie Iannotti.....

"Showy Sedum, the taller plants in the genus Sedum, are often taken for granted in the garden, partly because they don’t bloom until the fall, but also because they require so little care from the gardener. Their thick, succulent leaves are able to withstand drought and rainy weather. The flower buds form early and remain attractive well in winter. If the deer or rabbits didn’t eat them, Sedum would be a perfect plant(people living on the outskirts of town and in the Foothills/Oro Valley-watch out....Javelina will find it:) Varies with variety from Zones 3 - 10.

Border Stonecrop are a small section of the hundreds of species of Sedum. These taller growing Sedum have thick stems, fleshy leaves and tight flower heads that start out looking similar to heads of broccoli. Most are sturdy enough to stand upright on their own, with a few varieties showing a trailing quality suitable for containers. Flowers tend to be in shades of pink and mauve, that start out pale and deepen as they mature. Flower heads are attractive from bud through their dried stage.

Design Tips:

Sedum look especially good in a small mass planting that takes center stage in autumn. Because they look good all season, Sedum are suitable for edging, specimen plants and containers. Smaller varieties are good choices for rock gardens(Tucson!) and wall. Sedum make great cut flowers and are popular with butterflies.

Cultural Notes:

Sedum are extremely easy to grow. They prefer a well-drained soil, but can tolerate rainy weather as well. Extreme heat and lack of sun both cause Sedum to get a bit leggy. Pruning the plants back in early July will encourage them to get bushier and to grow more study.

Maintenance: Sedum flowers bloom only once; late in the season. Sedum do not need deadheading and often look good right through the winter. After several years, the center of Sedum plants will show signs of dying out. Division is needed at that point, to keep the plant vigorous. Stem cuttings can be taken at any time, to propagate more Sedum. "  End of article.
Source: http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofile1/p/Sedum.htm
So there you have it. Until tomorrow.....

Size
6 - 24" H, 12 - 24" W

Exposure:

Full Sun / Partial Shade

Bloom Period:

Late Summer / Fall