Sedums: varieties, species with photos and names

The rich species diversity of the Sedum genus makes it possible to choose sedum varieties for every taste and to achieve a variety of goals. Creeping ground cover perennials perfectly decorate an alpine slide or quickly fill the space allotted to them with a solid green carpet. Clumps of dense dwarf shrubs of different heights will look great both in solo plantings and in combination with other plants.

Ampel species, the shoots of which hang down picturesquely in long lashes, are wonderful for placing in pots, decorating a veranda, or even creating an original composition on the edge of the roof. Many stonecrops can be grown with equal success not only in an open area, but also in an apartment. The decorative appearance of this plant, which lasts for a long time, along with its rapid growth and unpretentious care, allow it to be an excellent decoration for home and garden.

Description of the stonecrop plant

The genus Sedum or Sedum belongs to the Tolstyankov family. It brings together about 600 plant species. To date, more than 100 stonecrops have been cultivated, on the basis of which a large number of varieties and hybrids have been bred.

Sedum is very diverse. They are distinguished by the shape, height of the bush, the size and color of the leaves and flowers, and the longevity. Most often these are perennial plants, but there are also those that live only a year or two. The most common are herbaceous stonecrops, but they can also be shrubs or semi-shrubs.

These plants are succulents. They are adapted to growing in hot, arid climates due to the fact that water reserves can be stored in the tissue of their stems and leaves for a long time. All stonecrops prefer an abundance of light, but they can grow in small shade. In an apartment, tropical sedums are most often cultivated, while frost-resistant species and varieties are usually chosen for the garden.

Sedum can be grown both in the open field and on the windowsill in the apartment.

Stonecrop roots are usually creeping, long, tuberous-thickened. Shoots can be erect, stretching upward, or creeping, spread out. Their height varies from 0.1 to 0.7 m. The leaves are usually dense and fleshy to the touch. The plates most often have a solid edge, occasionally serrate. They are sessile (do not have petioles) and, as a rule, attach to the stems alternately, although there are species and varieties of stonecrop with whorled and opposite leaves. In shape, the plates can resemble needles, barrels, coins, spindles, flat spatulas, slightly elongated balls. Their color can be both monochromatic and variegated: with spots, stripes, streaks, border. The color scheme is varied: from pale green, almost white or cream to dark emerald, orange, burgundy, brown, yellow.

What does a stonecrop flower look like?

Stonecrop bloom usually does not last long. Sedum can be seen in summer or fall for 1-3 weeks.Depending on the species and variety, this period can begin at the end of May and end in October.

Stonecrop inflorescences can be apical or lateral. Most often, they are in the form of a brush, umbrella or shield, uniting many small bisexual stellate flowers. Their color can be very different: snow-white, yellow, golden, pink, purple-red, lilac. Each flower usually has 5 oblong petals, 5 pistils and up to 10 stamens.

Stonecrop fruits are pink or red leaflets. Inside are numerous brown seeds. Each flower leaves behind 5 fruits.

Stonecrop varieties with photos and names

An acquaintance with some of their species and varieties will help to visualize the variety of stonecrops. The most hardy and winter-hardy sedums originate from those that grow in the wild in North America, Europe and Asia. In the climate of the middle zone, they are most often planted in open ground.

Forms and hybrids related to African and Mediterranean stonecrops are preferable to grow in conditions that exclude harsh winters, in particular, in greenhouses and on the windowsills of apartments.

Below are some of the most favorite types and varieties of sedums by flower growers with photos and names.

Garden types of stonecrops

In landscape compositions on personal plots, one can often admire both sedum (Sedum) and sedum (Hylotelephium). The latter are a small subgroup within the Sedum clan.

Common sedum (Sedum telephium)

Otherwise known as Sedum large or Sedum telefium. Widespread throughout Europe up to Siberia. In nature, it grows on the slopes of ravines, glades, forest edges, in the vicinity of shrubs and conifers. It is a bush with single straight stems 40-80 cm high. Leaves are oval, with denticles along the edge. Flowers are collected in dense clusters, appear in July-August.

Among the most interesting varieties:

1. The originator of the variety is Jennifer Hewitt. Plant height 50 cm.
   
   

   Jennifer's sedum flowers are painted in pink tones and look very original against the background of reddish-brown foliage

2. Raspberry Truffle. Sedum Raspberry Truffle is a representative of the Candy series of varieties. The size of the bush is usually 30-45 cm.
   
   

   Raspberry Traffle is distinguished by pink inflorescences and glossy purple-brown leaves.

3. Bon Bon. Reaches 20-40 cm in height.
   
   

   Maroon, almost chocolate leaves of Bon Bon stonecrop beautifully set off pale pink brushes of small flowers

4. This variety is considered a "giant" among stonecrops, as it can grow up to 60 cm.
   
   

   The flowers of Matrona sedum are pale pink with well-visible dark stamens, the stems are deep red, and the leaves are gray-gray, scarlet at the edges and covered with a waxy coating

Sedum acre

It is a creeping species with multiple thin, branching shoots up to 15 cm long. It prefers to grow on sandy soil, talus and hillsides.

Common varieties:

1. Yellow Queen. The sedum Yellow Queen is considered one of the shortest (the length of the shoots does not exceed 10 cm).
   
   

   Small thick leaves of the Yellow Queen variety are painted in light green-lemon color and form a thick carpet, and bright yellow flowers up to 1.5 cm in diameter can be observed from the beginning of June

2. Octoberfest. The leaves of this stonecrop variety are small, light green, densely cover the shoots.
   
   

   Oktoberfest owes its unusual name to an abundance of creamy white flowers that appear in July-August and are associated with thick beer foam.

3. Minus. Forms dense rugs 5-10 cm in height.
   
   

   The bluish-green leaves of the Minus variety are cylindrical and turn pink in the sun

Rock sedum (Sedum reflexum)

Another name is the sedum bent. Compact (10-15 cm), undersized species, growing in nature on bare rock ledges. Feels good in a flower pot, on a loggia or an open terrace. Its pointed leaves are needle-shaped, resembling moss or spruce needles. Inflorescences in the form of umbrellas, bright yellow color.

You can often find such varieties:

1. A very showy and unusual looking variety. Flowering begins in July and lasts 3 weeks.
   
   

   The greenish-golden leaves of the Angelina variety turn bright orange with the arrival of autumn

2. Cristatum. The bright green, dense foliage of this sedum is not only decorative but also edible. The plant spreads along the ground in an openwork wave. In comparison with other types and varieties of stonecrops, it grows slowly.
   
   

   Due to the curved shape of the thickened, slightly flattened shoots, the sedum Kristatum is also called the Cockscomb.

Sedum white (Sedum album)

Flat clumps of this ground cover species do not exceed 15-20 cm. It occurs naturally in Europe (except for the northern regions), the Balkans, and North Africa. Its numerous vegetative shoots are only 2-3 cm long, and the leaves in the form of flattened cylinders are green in cloudy wet weather, and turn reddish in hot sunny periods. Abundant flowering. It begins in July-August and lasts 3-4 weeks. At the same time, there are so many white or pale pink flowers that they almost completely cover the foliage.

Popular varieties:

1. Coral Carpet. In summer, the leaves of this stonecrop are colored in light green tones, and only their tips have a reddish tint.
   
   

   In autumn, the variety Coral Carpet (Coral Carpet) acquires a characteristic pink-orange color, justifying its name

2. Faro Form. It is rightfully considered the lowest grade of sedum. Its rugs don't grow taller than 1cm, and its tiny globular leaves are only about 3mm in size.
   
   

   In the bright summer sun, the Faro Form variety gradually turns red, and by autumn it turns brown

3. Murale. The height of its shoots is 3-4 cm, and at the stage of flowering, which occurs in May, it is 12-15 cm. The peculiarity of this variety is a strong aroma, reminiscent of the smell of bird cherry.
   
   

   Delicate pinkish flowers of sedum Murale are harmoniously combined with its bronze foliage

False sedum (Sedum spurium)

Shoots of this species form loose rugs up to 15 cm high. In warm climates, this is an evergreen plant, but in severe winters it sheds foliage. It usually blooms in the second half of summer. The color of the leaves and flowers of stonecrop depends on the variety.

Here is some of them:

1. Dragon's Blood. "Variety-chameleon". Its leaves are colored dark green with a red border only until mid-summer. Closer to autumn, they become rich burgundy with a purple tint.
   
   

   Purple rosettes of Dragon's Blood (Dragon's Blood) leaves at the end of summer complement dense clusters of dark pink flowers

2. This stonecrop has an unusual color.
   
   

   The white border that runs along the edge of the green leaves of the Tricolor variety turns pink in spring and autumn

Kamchatka sedum (Sedum kamtschaticum)

This species is common in the Russian Far East, as well as in North China, Korea and Japan. In nature, he prefers to inhabit rocky slopes. It differs in medium-sized (15-40 cm) stems, raised above the ground, and rather large (up to 3 cm) spatulate leaves with a serrate or crenate edge. In June, it is decorated with bright yellow-orange flowers.

Well known varieties:

1. Weihenstephaner Gold. A hybrid of the Kamchatka flower bearing sedum. Grows rapidly and blooms profusely. Can be grown in partial shade.
   
   

   The small yellow-green flowers of Weichenstephaner Gold create a beautiful contrast to its dark green glossy leaves, serrated at the tops.

2. Takahira Dake.Low (7-15 cm) compact hybrid with bright green, curly, unevenly serrated leaves. Flowering occurs in early summer.
   
   

   Bright glossy foliage, reddish stems and small yellow-orange flowers of the Takahira Dake variety look very decorative

Sedum prominent (Hylotelephium spectabile)

This sedum was presented to the world by Asia - North Korea, Japan, East China. Its strong erect stems grow up to 0.3-0.7 m. The leaves are large, usually green with a blue tint, have an oval or spatulate shape and small denticles at the edges. The half-umbels of the inflorescences can reach 15 cm in diameter. Blooms later, in August-October.

Among the most common varieties:

1. Thick burgundy shoots of this stonecrop form a dense bush up to 50 cm high. Red veins are noticeable on wide green leaves.
   
   

   Lush bright pink clusters of Carmen flowers appear in mid-August and catch the eye until the frost

2. Low (0.4-0.6 m) variety with bluish-green leaves and juicy stems. It grows slowly.
   
   

   Small snow-white flowers of stonecrop Stardust with pointed petals are in fact associated with stardust

3. Autumn Fire. Shoots of this variety reach 0.5 m in height.
   
   

   Against the background of gray-green foliage, the large heads of the inflorescences of the Autumn Fire, painted in copper-red tones, look like bright flashes of an autumn fire

Indoor types of stonecrops

Many types and varieties of sedum (sedum) look beautiful and grow well not only in the open field. It is possible, without much hassle, to create favorable conditions for them in the winter garden or on the window of a city apartment.

Morgan's sedum (Sedum morganianum)

This decorative succulent is native to Mexico. Long shoots of its shoots can reach a meter in length. Each of them is densely covered with thick, elongated-rounded fleshy leaves of a bluish color, covered with a waxy coating. The plant looks very beautiful in hanging pots. The flowering period of this stonecrop is from April to June. Each inflorescence has up to 10 buds, which open in turn.

Interesting varieties:

1. Translated from Spanish, this name means "donkey". Its bluish-green leaves are somewhat shorter and thicker than those of the rest of Morgan's sedum. In addition, they are very fragile and easily break off the stem if you carelessly touch them.
   
   

   The overgrown lashes of the Burrito variety look very impressive

2. The elongated gray-green leaves of this sedum resemble fingers.
   
   

   Unlike most varieties of sedum Morgan, the shoots of Magnum do not hang down with whips, but grow right next to each other, gradually filling the entire space of the pot

Siebold's sedum (Sedum sieboldii)

A very beautiful ampelous plant, which is native to the Japanese islands. The reddish thin shoots of this type of stonecrop do not grow large - only about 30 cm, but they hang very decoratively from the pot, decorated with rounded greenish leaves with a pink border around the edge. The sizes of the plates vary from 1 to 3 cm, their color is gray-green or gray-blue.

In indoor floriculture, the following varieties are popular:

1. Mediovariegatum. The length of its shoots is within 40-50 cm.
   
   

   The Mediovariegatum variety has an original two-tone color: its leaves have green edges and a creamy yellow spot in the middle.

2. Dragon. An evergreen variety. It blooms from late summer to autumn frost with pink star-shaped flowers.
   
   

   Gray-green leaves of the Dragon variety are edged along the edge with a bright scarlet stripe

Red sedum (Sedum rubrotinctum)

Low-growing creeping species. With age, its shoots, branched at the base, grow up to 15-20 cm and begin to rise. The leaves are usually round or spindle-shaped. They densely cover the stems and acquire a very beautiful color in bright light: the main part of the plate remains deep green, and the top gradually becomes bright red, burgundy or orange. Yellow flowers appear at the tops of the shoots in late summer.

Among the most spectacular varieties:

1. Aurora.Its fleshy elongated leaves grow densely on the shoots in a spiral order.
   
   

   In the color of the Aurora variety growing on a sunny window, it is very interesting to observe the transition of colors from delicate pale green to pink and cream

2. Jelly Bean. The leaves of this sedum really resemble a glossy, oval marmalade dragee, sparkling with bright colors.
   
   

   The lower part of the leaf blades of the Jelly Bean variety is yellow-green, while the upper part has a deep pink color.

Planting and caring for stonecrops

The sedum plant does not belong to capricious plants, but it still has some preferences. When choosing a site for planting, it is advisable to take them into account:

• the place should be sunny, in extreme cases, slightly shaded;
• any type of light soil with good drainage properties is suitable;
• there should be no trees or shrubs nearby, which in the fall will be able to cover the ground with fallen leaves - in the spring sedum will not be able to break through them and will not germinate.

The site should be prepared in advance:

• to clear of debris, dry remains of plants, rhizomes of weeds;
• dig up the soil (you can add a little compost or humus);
• level the ground with a rake.

Most often stonecrops are propagated by cuttings. This method is simple and equally good for both tall and creeping varieties. The apical cuttings are cut in the spring, when the shoots are just starting to grow. For rooting, they are buried 1-2 cm in a small container filled with a light loose substrate, and kept in a warm, not damp room, avoiding direct sunlight and watering as needed. After 2 weeks, stonecrops can be transplanted into open ground or into a separate flowerpot for growing in an apartment.

Leafy cuttings can also be prepared in summer. They should be pinched off and allowed to air dry a little. Then the prepared leaves must be spread out over the surface of the earth, covered with a thin layer of soil with sand on top, compacted a little and water the plantings.

The easiest way to propagate stonecrops is by cuttings

Stonecrop varieties of large sizes are also propagated by dividing the bush. These sedums are dug up in early spring and the rhizome is cut into 2 parts so that each of the plants has buds from which shoots are to grow. The incision sites are treated with a fungicide and air-dried for several hours. After that, stonecrops are rooted in the selected areas, for the first time organizing shading for them.

Some species and varieties can be successfully propagated by seed. Seed material is germinated in low, wide containers with a light substrate, placing them in a warm, illuminated place. At first, they are covered with a film or glass, from time to time they are ventilated and the soil is carefully moistened. Stonecrop shoots that appear are usually very small. After a pair of true leaves grow in sedums, they are dived in a larger container or in a garden bed.

Caring for stonecrops of different types and varieties is equally simple. The highlights boil down to the following:

1. Watering sedum is required when planting and in the prolonged summer heat. These plants are very resistant even to prolonged droughts.
2. Regular weeding of beds with stonecrop is a guarantee of his health. Almost all types and varieties of sedum are vulnerable to the dominance of weeds. Often it is this that causes the development of plant diseases.
3. Most varieties of sedum react well to liquid fertilizing - mineral and organic. You cannot fertilize sedums with fresh manure.
4. It is necessary to closely monitor the growth of shoots and shorten them in time so that the sedum plant looks beautiful and attractive. Withered stems and leaves are required to be removed without delay.
5. Some growers advise cutting off sedum after the onset of the first frost, leaving 3-4 cm of shoots above ground level. In this case, a layer of soil should be poured over them for the winter.However, another point of view is also widespread, the adherents of which do not see the need to cut off sedum for the period of cold weather.

Water the sedum very sparingly.

Useful Tips

In addition to the basic rules for caring for different types or varieties of sedum, you can take on board a few more useful tips:

1. Due to the high frost resistance of sedum rhizomes, they usually tolerate winter well. They do not need any additional artificial shelter.
2. The most convenient way to propagate stonecrop is by cuttings.
3. To feed this plant with fertilizers, especially nitrogen fertilizers, should be extremely careful. With their excessive amount, sedum can overgrow, lose its decorative appearance and winter worse.
4. Many types and varieties of sedum should be rejuvenated every 5 years so that the carpet from its shoots remains thick and even. To do this, all the old stems are first cut off from the plant, and then transplanted to a new place. It is usually recommended to divide the bush at the same time.

Conclusion

All kinds and varieties of stonecrops, ground cover, ampelous and tall, common and rare, capable of growing on the windowsill and in the garden, usually combines unpretentiousness to environmental conditions and undemanding care. Most of these ornamental perennials tolerate drought and frost well. With extremely moderate watering, the presence of light and well-drained soil and the absence of weeds, they retain their spectacular and attractive appearance for a long time, allowing them to be used to implement a wide variety of design solutions. Even a novice florist can cope with the cultivation of stonecrops without difficulty.

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