Tough, Sun Loving Sedums
Perennial sedums have so much to offer! Yes, they are tough, sun loving perennials but that isn’t the end of their great garden characteristics. These plants are succulents, which means they have leaves and other plant structures that hold water. The stored water can be utilized when the plants are in need and not receiving water from another source. As you would guess, these plants are heat and drought tolerant once established.
There are many different varieties of sedum; size, foliage color, bloom color and form varies greatly between species. Blooms are star shaped and usually in clusters or sprays. Flower color often changes throughout the season, providing even more visual interest. There are tall plants, offering outstanding blooms for cutting, and groundcover types that do an excellent job or suppressing weeds and even smaller types that do well in pots. Sedums are also often called stonecrop.
How to Grow Sedums
All thrive in full sun without much care. Plant in a garden area or planter that drains well and is in the sun for at least 6 hours each day. Some varieties do find in 4 hours of sun but ones with colorful foliage can lose some of their color is they don’t get enough sun. If the plant roots stay too wet, they can develop root rot so amend heavy soils to increase air flow and drainage. Trim winter damaged foliage off in the spring.
Here are some varieties we have right now (June 2020); inventory changes often so call for availability. Keep reading for detailed information on some of our favorite tough, sun loving sedums!
‘Plum Dazzled’ from the SunSparkler series
Featuring deep plum colored foliage, this sedum contrasts well with a lime green groundcover sedum such as ‘Lemon Ball’ or ‘Angelina’. Sedums in the SunSparkler series have been chosen for their dazzling flower and leaf color. ‘Plum Dazzled’ provides magenta pink flowers during late summer. The blooms attract bees and butterflies. Not all wildlife likes this plant; it’s deer resistant!
‘Plum Dazzled’ (pictured above) makes a good filler plant in containers. In landscape plantings, plant in mass as a border plant or tuck one in here and there for a colorful accent.
This mounding sedum grows 8-10 inches tall and spreads to 18 inches in width.
‘Lime Zinger’ from the SunSparkler series
Lime green foliage with a crisp ruby red edge sets this sedum apart; and yes, it’s also in the SunSparkler series. ‘Lime Zinger’ is low growing; grows to only about 6 inches in height and 18 inches across, making it a good, hardy groundcover. They also grow just fine in containers. Another great feature, they are rabbit resistant!
Butterfly attracting clusters of hot pink flowers arrive in late summer and last through early fall.
‘Dazzleberry’ from the SunSparkler series
This sedum may look similar to ‘Plum Dazzled’ but there are a few differences. ‘Dazzleberry’ has a mature height of 6-8 inches, a little shorter than its relative, but growing to the same width of 18 inches. The leaves are also more of a smokey blue-gray color than a plum color. And one of the main differences is the bloom; it blooms earlier and has large raspberry colored flower clusters. The clusters can reach up to 9 inches across!
Like many other sedums, it’s rabbit resistant and this one is resistant to disease issues as well.
‘Lemon Ball’
This one is a little smaller than some others, with a mature size of 4-6 inches tall and a width of 10-12 inches. Despite its diminutive size, the bright chartreuse color packs a big visual punch. ‘Lemon Ball’ is highly visible in the garden, whether just one plant or a mass planting. The low height makes it perfect for accenting a taller layer in a perennial border. It also grows well in a container, either mixed with other plants or filling out a class low bowl planter.
Yellow bloom clusters appear in the summer. ‘Lemon Ball’ is deer resistant and has a bit of winter presence here in Central Arkansas. It’s considered an evergreen in warmer climates.
‘Firecracker’ from the SunSparkler series
This little sedum (6-8 inches tall and wide) has small, burgundy, rounded leaves and a mounding form that cascades gently over the sides of containers or stones. This is a very dense growing sedum, featuring pink blooms during the late summer and early fall.
We hope you enjoyed learning about these tough, sun loving sedums!