One of my first introductions to sedum was to the old variety Autumn Joy. While Autumn Joy sedum has its merits, I didn’t like it very much. It flopped over by the end of summer and the color was so-so. It wasn’t long after, though, that I started to discover other sedum varieties that suited my gardening style better. That’s when I really began to understand why everyone loved sedum so much. 

Sedums are a big group of plants -- there’s a lot more variety than most people realize. Look around and you’ll discover varieties with fine gray leaves (such as ‘Blue Spruce’), gold foliage (‘Angelina’), variegated foliage (‘Tricolor’), and more. Almost all are a cinch to grow. These plants thrive in full sun and don’t mind it hot and dry. Once established, you rarely have to water sedum and I’ve found that fertilizing them doesn’t appear to be necessary to enjoy strong, healthy plants. 

These perennials thrive in garden beds and borders, as well as containers, so they’re delightfully versatile. In fact, groundcover-type sedums are excellent “spiller plants” for container gardens -- and they won’t dry up and look bad if you miss watering them one day during the summer. 

Sedums make sense for any sunny garden if you want to add a colorful plant that’s easy to care for.

Written by Justin Hancock