Sedum spectabile grows in sun or light shade and blooms in late summer when other perennials have long since finished. The flower color of Showy Stonecrop depends on the cultivar grown. The bluish or grayish-green foliage is attractive early in the summer. It should be planted in a well-drained soil.

-perennial

-to 2' tall x 1' wide

-upright columnar

-forms clumps

-opposite to spiraled, but also alternate in some hybrids

-3" long

-elliptical with crenate margins

-light green-gray or bluish

-attractive

-not applicable

Culture

-full sun to partial shade

-performs best in full sun in moist, well-drained soils, but it is extremely urban tolerant especially of heat and drought; however, it is not tolerant of wet or poorly drained soils

-propagated primarily by rooted stem cuttings

-Orpine Family, with no diseases or pests of significance

-commonly available in containers

Hardiness

-zones 4 to 9

Origin

-native to China, Korea

Assets

-thick light green-gray foliage

-upright multi-stemmed habit

-long flowering period

-winter effect

Liabilities

-must prune dead tops to the ground in late winter

-attracts bees when in flower (could be an asset)

Function

-short vertical focal point throughout the summer, autumn and winter

Texture

-medium to bold texture

-thick density

Varieties and Cultivars - Search OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species

Alternates

-upright forms of other Sedum species, cultivars, and hybrids

-full sun, draught tolerant perennials

-late summer flowering perennials