If there was ever a perfect group of plants for gardens such as mine; soil-challenged and sun-baked, it would have to be the sedums. With more than three hundred species, and an astonishing number of cultivars with more coming onto the market each year, there is a huge range of choice.
Their succulent foliage makes them the perfect candidates for drought-tolerant gardens. They require minimal care once planted, thrive in dry, sandy soils (is there any other type? Not in my garden!), and are committed sun worshippers.
There are upright, clumping types which are well-suited for the middle of a border, but most of the sedums find themselves as low-growing plants for border edges, in rock gardens or as groundcover. I’ve never met one I didn’t like, although there is the occasional variety that likes to spread itself around a little too much in the garden, so perhaps the “perfect” designation is a bit enthusiastic.
The requirements are simple for the gardener; a sunny location, quick drainage during the growing season and no lingering wet soil after the winter snow melt. Fertilizer is not needed as they’ll grow just fine without any help.
The upright group of sedums is found in the species spectabile. ‘Autumn Joy’ is the best-known of this group, and one of the most popular perennials of the past two decades. There have been many “improved” introductions over the years but for me ‘Autumn Joy’ still reigns supreme.
I love how the foliage bubbles out of the ground in early spring, how it grows rapidly in April and May and how the flower buds show colour over the latter part of summer and through the fall before finally turning a buffed mahogany with the coming of the first frost.
An introduction from Germany called ‘Matrona’ begins to colour earlier than ‘Autumn Joy’ and has grey-green leaves edged with pink, and burgundy stems. It’s a winner in the autumn garden too.
For groundcover or rock garden situations the choices are almost endless. Sedums in the spurium species typically grow only four to ten cm. tall and spread up to 40 cm. across. ‘Tricolor’ has variegated green foliage with pink and white edges, topped with clusters of pink flowers. ‘Dragon’s Blood’ has wine red leaves and darker red blossoms.
Another one of my favourites is Sedum spathifolium ‘Capo Blanco.’ This species is a native plant in Oregon and California. ‘Capo Blanco’ has fleshy green foliage, coated with a powdery white film that gives the plant a ghostly appearance. It’s topped with bright yellow star-like blooms in summer.
Several sedums are great performers in containers as well. One of the best is a relatively new introduction, Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina.’ It has brilliant golden-yellow foliage that is needle-like. It doesn’t die back in winter like many of the other sedums and as the weather cools in fall the foliage takes on a beautiful amber tone.
‘Angelina’ will cascade nicely over the edge of a pot, and it looks stunning in combination with any dark foliage companion. Note, however, that in my garden this sedum has not limited itself to growing where I planted it. Enough said?
