Sedum, also called stonecrop or ice plant is in a large family (Family Crassulaceae) of succulents that mostly grow in sunny, dry areas in Zones 4-9 and fit well in rock gardens, train and miniature gardens, along sidewalks and edges of perennial or pollinator gardens. Native to temperate zones and mountains in the tropics, they are heat and drought tolerant as well as deer/ rabbit resistant. The flowers attract a myriad of small-medium sized butterflies, skippers, many species of bees as well as colorful flies and beetles. You can’t go wrong planting a variety of these showy and attractive pollinator magnets! Sedum has two main growth habits, upright and creeping, with pale green, blue or brick red leaves. The flower color ranges from white to pink to fiery red. Upright sedums or border sedums (Hylotelephium spp) begin as short, green and fleshy mounds each Spring then the stems elongate to reach 2-3’ tall with broad flat leaves. In late Summer, clusters of four petaled, star shaped flowers develop toward the top of the plant and at the tip of each stem resulting in masses of color that lasts over a month. As the temperature cools in the Fall, both the plant and flowers deepen in color.
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