10 Low-Maintenance Stonecrop Varieties for Drought-Tolerant Ground Cover
Stonecrops, also known as sedums, are low-growing, drought-tolerant perennials that make excellent ground cover plants in hot, arid areas. They not only tolerate dry, rocky soil but positively thrive in it. A bonus is that stonecrops are generally deer-resistant.
Popular Stonecrop Varieties for Ground Cover
-
White Sedum (Sedum album): This variety has white flowers and green foliage that turns reddish in autumn. It blooms in summer and is an excellent ground cover for thin, poor soils or rocky embankments.
-
‘Murale’ Sedum (Sedum album ‘Murale’): ‘Murale’ is a sedum cultivar with bronze foliage and pink flowers that bloom in early summer and attract butterflies.
-
Cascade Stonecrop (Sedum divergens): This perennial species blooms with yellow flowers in midsummer. The leaves are green but show a reddish tinge in full sun.
-
Pink Mongolian Stonecrop (Hylotelephium ewersii): Once categorized as Sedum ewersii, this small ground cover plant blooms in late summer with pink flowers. The leaves are blue-gray.
-
‘Blue Spruce’ Sedum (Sedum reflexum ‘Blue Spruce’ or S. rupestre ‘Blue Spruce’): Named for its bluish needle-like foliage, this fast-growing plant produces a blanket of small yellow flowers in mid to late summer.
-
Japanese Stonecrop (Hylotelephium sieboldii): This plant has silver-blue leaves with distinctive red edges and hot-pink flowers that appear in fall.
-
‘Purple Emperor’ Sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Purple Emperor’): ‘Purple Emperor’ has plum foliage and pink inflorescence that complement plants with silver foliage or yellow flowers.
-
‘Angelina’ Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’): ‘Angelina’ is a gold-leaved sedum that turns bronze in cold weather. Tiny yellow flowers appear throughout the summer.
-
Chinese Sedum (Sedum tetractinum ‘Coral Reef’): ‘Coral Reef’ is a cultivar with a warm yellowish color. Tiny white or pink flowers appear in July and August.
-
Russian Stonecrop (Sedum kamtschaticum): This variety has deep green leaves and golden yellow flowers that appear in late summer. The foliage turns into an attractive bronze in the fall.
Planting and Care
Stonecrops are easy to grow and require minimal care. They prefer full sun but can tolerate partial shade, especially in hot climates. Plant them in well-drained soil and water them only when the soil is dry to the touch. Stonecrops are drought-tolerant and do not require fertilizer.
Benefits of Stonecrop Ground Cover
- Drought tolerance
- Low maintenance
- Deer resistance
- Attractive foliage and flowers
- Can be used to fill in spaces in rock gardens or chinks in stone walls
- Can be used as a transition between low-sprawling evergreens
- Can add color to shady areas
Additional Tips
- Stonecrops are easy to propagate from stem cuttings.
- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage new growth.
- Divide overgrown plants in spring or fall.
- Stonecrops are generally pest- and disease-free.
