Get To Know Sedums
We all love those cute little succulents that we plant in everything, but you need to get to know their cousins, the sedums, better.
These perennials are also known as stonecrops because they are found growing in rocky areas. They come in lots of different sizes, colors, and textures and are perfect mixed in containers or in beds or rock gardens.
They are not only drought-tolerant like succulents but are winter hardy and able to survive in cold weather and look great year-round. They are easy to grow and requires little maintenance.
There are 2 main types:
Ground cover sedum which is low growing and spreads as a ground cover or drapes over the side of your containers or hanging baskets, over rocks in a garden or over a retaining wall. The shapes and textures of these plants lend themselves to so many “cool” planting ideas. They have small blooms throughout the summer and into the fall, but their foliage alone is outstanding.
Upright Sedum have succulent type leaves and will grow into a small bush shape as it matures. It is evergreen (stays green throughout the winter) so you can enjoy them all year. They bloom in the late summer and early fall with flat clusters of tiny flowers that change color as the bloom matures over several weeks. The texture of these plants and interesting blooms works in a variety of plantings.
Tips on planting sedums in pots:
· Use a well-draining soil. They can develop root rot and turn mushy if they are grown in too wet of soil.
· Make sure your pot has drainage holes. Sedums roots are shallow so they don’t need a deep pot.
· Don’t overfeed them with fertilizer. Use a slow release fertilizer.
· They prefer full sun, but can take some shade.
· Allow sedums to dry out between waterings.
· Water potted sedums when the top 1 inch of soil dries out.
Here’s some of my favorites: