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Planting, Growing, and Caring for Sedums
Planting
Sedum enjoy full sun, but will tolerate some shade. If growing sedum in an area that gets long, cold winters (Zone 5 and colder), plant in full sun to improve overwintering capability.
Sedum grows well in poor or sandy soil, but it鈥檚 important to have well-drained soil to avoid fungal diseases. It is very susceptible to root rot if grown in soil that holds too much moisture. Overly rich soil can also encourage leggy growth, which can result in upright sedum varieties becoming top-heavy when they bloom.
When to Plant Sedum
- Sedum is usually bought in plugs or pots and transplanted into the garden. The best time to plant sedum is in the spring鈥攁fter the threat of frost but before the heat of summer kicks in.
- Plant sedum seeds in early spring in well-drained, average to rich soil. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
How to Plant Sedum
- Space plants between 6 inches and 2 feet apart, depending on the variety. Low-growing sedums will readily spread to fill any gaps, while upright sedums tend to stay more compact.
- Planting full plants or divisions: Dig a hole deep enough so that the top of the root ball is level with the surface of the soil, then place the plant in the hole and fill in around it. Be careful not to bury the stems of upright sedum, as this can lead to rot.
- Planting cuttings: Like other succulents, sedum can be readily propagated via cuttings. Simply place the cut end into soil, and the cutting should have no trouble rooting under proper lighting and watering conditions.
Growing
- Once established, sedum plants require little care. During the summer, check your plants regularly to make sure they are not too dry and water (sparingly) if needed. As long as your area gets rain every couple of weeks at the least, sedum shouldn鈥檛 need any extra watering.
- After flowering, cut back the plants to maintain their shape or contain them in one area.
- Tip: For added winter interest, leave the flowers of upright sedum alone after they bloom. They will form attractive seed heads.
- Remember to divide your plants in the spring or fall to control their spread. Throughout the summer, divisions and cuttings root readily.
Catherine Boeckmann
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Is here any certain time to transplant?
Early spring is the best time to divide or transplant sedum plants, especially upright varieties. Creeping varieties are more forgiving, however, and may be moved in later spring, as long as they receive adequate water. Be aware that this could interrupt their flowering, though.
I need help in finding out what kind of Sedum that I have? The only thing it said was Sedum on the side of the pot. It's a small green little group that are like tight little type of plant. It almost looks like little rose but I know it's not one? They are cute little green flowers kinda?
Hi Jeanie,
There are many varieties of Sedum, but some of the most common are these: Sedum acre, Sedum album, Sedum anglican, Sedum dasyphyllum, Sedum forsterianum, Sedum 鈥楬erbstfreude,鈥 Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum rosea, Sedum rupestre, Sedum spectabile, Sedum spectabile 脳 telephium, Sedum spurium, Sedum telephium. Use these names to search for images to match to your plant. We hope this helps!
My yard of Sedum (Phedimus) takesimensis was planted last year and developed yellow flower clusters. The flowers are turning brown and it looks like the plants are dying as the leaves are disappearing. Is this a normal growing pattern? tnx
Sedum (Phedimus) takesimensis is a hardy, sun-loving, drought-tolerant ground cover. Is it getting sun and not too much moisture?? (A point of interest: this is a recommended green roof plant and was used as such in Missouri in 2012. That suggests it really, really likes sun! Apparently, too, it holds its leaves in winter and drops its leaves very late…then new leaves emerge. Give it time before you give it up.
Right now in Cape Town, South Africa we get temperatures of 25-30 C (drought for weeks now). The soil becomes burning hot in the afternoon. I have a few small tip cuttings of a low-lying species of sedum that I'd like to plant out.
Can I still plant them in the full sun?
When the plant flowers the plant falls to the ground, what can you do to prevent this?
We have a roof garden at work in Jersey with sedium plants in flats all around the edge. Over the past 2 years they have not flowered and look lifeless. How do I get them back to life?
Hi, Cindy: Any number of things could be going on here. First of all, since they 鈥渓ook lifeless,鈥 make sure that they are still alive before you spend much time doing anything. They could be root-bound; are the flats so crowded that you need to thin out your plants? The soil could be depleted; mix in some organic fertilizer or matter recommended by your nursery. They could be too dry; while sedum doesn’t need much water, its needs do increase when evaporation levels are high. Finally, they could be getting baked—an overlooked problem in roof gardens. Sedum can certainly thrive in full sun, and on rooftops it’s true that additional air circulation can help to cool, but at the same time the constant solar radiation (even on overcast days) being absorbed by the rooftop itself can create an oven effect that basically can bake plants. So, check the roots and soil, make sure that there is enough water, and consider doing a test in which you put up a vertical screen (just a cut-apart trashbag between two dowels or sticks) to create a partial sun environment when the sun is low in the sky at beginning or end of day (the screen will create shade). Sometimes cutting down on the sun just a little can offset the baking effect. Thanks for asking and good luck!
