That's a darn big name for a sweet little sedum! The common name, Chinese mountain stonecrop, is just as long, but not quite such a mouth full. This low growing evergreen is fairly new to my garden; I planted it in a tough spot between the street and driveway just a few years ago. It's flourished on neglect, crummy lean soil, and little water.
The color show is spectacular in late spring when red stems emerge from the rich green foliage and explode with bright, yellow flowers and red bracts. The overall effect is a multi-colored WOW!
The succulent foliage hangs tough during the summer, looking fresh and green. Don't you love those cute serrated edges?
And if you leave the flowers / bracts to ripen, you'll be rewarded in the fall with this beautiful star-like texture.
Sedum middendorffianum is hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and needs full sun to thrive. Plant it in a well draining, infertile soil. Mature size is 4" tall by 12-18" wide. The plants I've chosen to partner with this sedum include Penstemon pinifolius 'Mersea Yellow', Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass), and 'Hidcote' English lavender (not shown).
Yucca, Hesperaloe, Russian sage, and blue mist spirea would also work well with this sedum. I hope you'll give it a try!
2 comments:
Love this sedum: not as frequently encountered locally as "S. hybridum"--which seems intermediate between middendorfianum and the S. hybridum I saw in Kazakhstan several years ago. You either are a rank beginner or a terribly sophisticated plantperson to appreciate sedums (I think I know which category we two belong in!)...
I think it was a lucky find!
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