Ornamental · Crassulaceae
Stonecrop
Sedum
Give it full sun and sharp drainage, then mostly leave it alone and the stonecrop thrives.
Full sun
Every 10–21 days
60–90 days
USDA 3–9
Overview
Stonecrop is the plant for the spot where nothing else will grow. These low, fleshy succulents store water in their leaves and shrug off heat, drought, and poor rocky ground that would starve a fussier plant. Most are creeping mat formers that knit together into a living carpet, perfect for rock gardens, gravel, green roofs, and the dry gaps between paving stones.
The genus is wide and the looks vary. Some forms glow gold or chartreuse, others run deep bronzy-red, and many flush richer color as the cold sets in. Star-shaped summer flowers in yellow, white, pink, or red draw bees and butterflies, then the foliage carries the show the rest of the year. Hardiness is remarkable, with the tougher types taking winters down to -40°F (-40°C).
The one thing stonecrop won't forgive is kindness. Rich soil and a steady drink make it floppy and leggy, and wet feet rot it from the roots up. Plant it lean and dry, hand it the brightest spot you have, and the hardest part of growing it is staying out of its way.
Care
The short version: full sun, lean and gritty fast-draining soil, and water only when the soil has gone bone dry. Skip the feeding and let it be.
Light
Stonecrop wants full sun, and the more it gets the better. It will take partial sun or light shade, but in real shade the stems stretch and flop and the gold and red forms wash out to plain green.
Water
This is a succulent, so let the soil go completely dry between drinks, then water deeply and wait. Established plants often get by on rainfall alone, needing a top-up only every 10 to 21 days in a long dry spell. Too much water, more than anything, is what kills stonecrop.
Soil
Plant in lean, gritty, sharply drained soil, the sandier and rockier the better. A pH of 6.0 to 7.5 suits it, and it shrugs off poor ground that would starve other plants. What it can't survive is heavy soil that holds water around the roots.
Temperature
Stonecrop handles a huge range, from -40°F to 100°F (-40°C to 38°C), which is why the hardy types sail through brutal winters. Sharp drainage matters more than the cold itself, since soggy soil in winter is the real danger.
Humidity
Dry air is no problem at all, so there's no humidity number to chase. Damp, stagnant conditions are the bigger worry, since they invite rot and give slugs a place to shelter.
Feeding
Feed lightly or not at all. Stonecrop grows lean by nature, and rich food makes it floppy and leggy, so a single light dose of balanced fertilizer in spring is the most it ever needs.
Pruning
Shear back leggy or flopped stems to tidy the mat and push denser regrowth, and pinch in any runners that wander past their bounds. Cut off the spent flower stems once bloom is done.
Repotting
In containers, repot every 2 to 3 years or when the mat crowds the pot, dies out in the middle, or drains almost instantly after watering. Use a fresh gritty, fast-draining mix each time.
Size & spacing
Most creeping stonecrops stay low, just 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) tall, but each plant spreads 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) across into a wide mat. Space them with that spread in mind and they'll knit together into solid cover.
When to plant
Stonecrop is hardy from zones 3 to 9 and goes in once the ground warms. Set plants out in spring after the last frost, on through early fall, and the star-shaped flowers open across summer from June into August.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring (8-10 weeks before last frost); most types are grown from cuttings or division rather than seed
- Plant: Spring after last frost through early fall
- Harvest: Summer (June to August); star-shaped yellow, white, pink, or red flowers attract pollinators
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Stonecrop has few real problems, and nearly all of them trace back to too much water or too little sun. Read the early signs on the stems and roots and the fix is usually simple. Match what you see below, then act before rot spreads.
Mushy, blackened stems collapsing from the center out
This is root and stem rot, and it kills more sedums than anything else. It comes from too much water sitting in heavy or poorly drained soil, not from any disease you can spray away. Stop watering, cut out every soft rotted stem, and re-root firm cuttings in fresh gritty mix on a raised, sharply drained spot.
Fix:
- Stop watering and let the soil dry out completely
- Cut away all soft, rotted stems and roots and discard them
- Re-root healthy firm cuttings in fresh gritty, fast-draining mix
- Replant in a raised, lean, sharply drained site or amend heavy soil with coarse sand and grit
Leggy, flopping stems that fade toward plain green
Too little sun is almost always the cause, sometimes with soil that's too rich or too wet feeding soft, sprawling growth. Move the plant into full sun, shear the leggy stems back hard to force a denser mat, and ease off the water and feed. Gold and red forms hold their color only with the strongest light you can give them.
Fix:
- Move or transplant to a full-sun location
- Shear back leggy stems to force denser, more compact regrowth
- Stop fertilizing and grow in leaner, grittier soil
- Reduce watering
Chewed holes and ragged leaves, sometimes with slime trails
Slime trails and damage that shows up overnight point to slugs and snails working the fleshy growth. If you instead find small bumps, white cottony masses, or clustered soft insects on the stems, you're looking at scale, mealybugs, or aphids. Hand-pick the slugs after dark, knock the others off with insecticidal soap or a sharp jet of water, and clear the damp, shaded debris where they shelter.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs and snails or use slug bait/traps
- Wipe off or spray scale, mealybugs, and aphids with insecticidal soap or a strong water jet
- Improve airflow and avoid overly damp, shaded conditions that favor slugs
Toxicity
Good news for pet owners and parents: stonecrop is non-toxic. The ASPCA lists it as safe for cats and dogs, and it poses no real danger to other animals or children. The only minor catch is that a few species have sap that can leave a mild itch on sensitive skin.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Stonecrop is safe for cats and isn't on the ASPCA toxic list. A curious cat that chews a leaf might get a mildly upset stomach, the same as with any plant outside its normal diet, but nothing more.
Dogs None
Dogs can be around stonecrop without worry. The worst a nibble usually brings is a little drooling or a loose stomach that settles on its own.
Horses Safe
There are no reports of stonecrop poisoning horses, and it isn't flagged as a pasture hazard. A horse that crops a bit of the foliage should be fine.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can browse the fleshy leaves without harm. As with any new green, introduce it slowly so a sudden large helping doesn't loosen their gut.
Livestock Safe
Grazing cattle, goats, and sheep aren't poisoned by stonecrop, which most stock leave alone anyway in favor of tastier forage.
Birds Safe
The plant poses no toxic risk to backyard or pet birds, and chickens may peck at the low mats now and then with no ill effect.
People Safe
Stonecrop is safe to grow and handle around children. The sap of a few species can leave a mild skin itch on sensitive people, so wash your hands after a long session of trimming or planting.
Generally safe to handle, but the sap of a few sedum species may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive people; wash hands after extensive handling.
Varieties
Stonecrop covers a sweep of foliage colors and habits, from gold needles to red mats. These are the ones you'll meet most often.
Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'
A vigorous creeping groundcover with spiky gold to chartreuse needles that flush reddish-orange in the cold of fall and winter, topped by yellow summer flowers.
Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'
A low two-row stonecrop that mats out in bronzy-red foliage and carries deep red star-shaped flowers in summer.
Sedum album
An evergreen mat former with small green fleshy leaves and white summer flowers, and the species the ASPCA lists by name as non-toxic Stonecrop.
Sedum acre
Gold moss stonecrop with tiny leaves and bright yellow flowers that self-seeds freely and can spread fast enough to turn weedy.
Upright border sedums (now Hylotelephium, e.g. 'Autumn Joy')
A separate group of taller, clump-forming border perennials, reclassified into Hylotelephium, that stand upright rather than creeping in low mats.
Companions
Stonecrop pairs best with other sun-loving, drought-tough plants that want the same lean, dry, gritty soil, and worst with anything that needs rich, wet ground and shade.
Plant near
Sempervivum (hens and chicks): Another sun-loving, drought-tolerant succulent with the same lean, well-drained soil needs for rock gardens and green roofs.
Creeping thyme: Low, sun-loving, drought-tolerant mat former that shares the same gritty, well-drained, dry conditions between pavers and on slopes.
Keep apart
Moisture-loving shade plants: Plants needing rich, consistently moist soil and shade require conditions (wet soil) that rot sedum and shade that makes it leggy.
How to propagate
Few plants multiply as easily as stonecrop. A snapped stem or even a dropped leaf will often root on its own, so a single plant soon becomes many.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 2 to 4 weeks to root
This is the easiest way and the one most gardeners use. Snip a stem in spring or summer, let the cut end dry and callus for a day, then press it into gritty mix or simply lay it on the soil, where it roots at the nodes in 2 to 4 weeks.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · A few weeks to a season
Lift an established mat in spring or early fall, pull or cut it into chunks, and replant the pieces where you want them. Each division settles in over a few weeks to a full season.
Leaf cuttingsEasy
Spring to summer · 3 to 6 weeks
Pull a healthy leaf with a short bit of stem still attached and rest it on gritty mix during the spring or summer growth. New roots form over 3 to 6 weeks.
SeedModerate
Late winter to spring · Several weeks to germinate
Species sedums grow from seed sown in late winter or spring, taking several weeks to germinate. Named cultivars don't come true from seed, so stick with cuttings or division to keep their color and form.
Myths
Sedums need rich soil and frequent watering to thrive.
The opposite is true. Stonecrops are succulents built for hard, dry ground, and they want lean, gritty soil with sharp drainage and very little water. Pamper them with rich earth and a regular drink and you get floppy, leggy growth and fatal root and stem rot.