Botanical Name: Sedum spathulifolium
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Common Name: Pacific, Round, or Yellow Stonecrop  
Plant photo of: Sedum spathulifolium
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Ground cover, Succulent

 

Height Range

Under 1'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Grey, Purple, Red, Silver

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Low

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Ranch, Seascape, Spanish, Tropical

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Parking Strip, Swimming Pool, Walkways, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Container, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Butterflies

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:

  • Description

  • Notes

This species of sedum is quite low, usually under 4 inches. Leaves are somewhat rounded, thick and fleshy with a unusual white powdery coating which lends a white to grey-green appearance. In early summer, they produce flat-topped clusters of yellow flowers. In autumn, leaves often turn reddish to purplish. In fact, this plants foliage seems to change color constantly all year round. They are particularly well suited for mixing among Sempervivums and other low stonecrops in the rockery, front of the perennial border or alpine troughs.
This species of sedums is native to western North America. For a sedum, they can tolerate considerable moisture, as long as it doesn't gather around their crowns, yet they are also drought-tolerant. They grow in sun to part sun, in well drained soil. In bloom, sedums attract bees and butterflies. Sedums are attractive groundcovers, but they are very brittle, so use in areas of low or no foot traffic, or at the edges of walkways. As a group, sedums prefer well-drained soils, including sandy-loam, clay-loam, or rocky soils, as long as it is well drained. In nature, most sedums occur in light shade or partly sunny sites, while a few are also well-adapted to full sun situations. They can tolerate both drought conditions or more frequent watering, but the key is good drainage. Their xeric nature makes sedums popular for use in rock gardens, roof gardens, wall gardens, and living wreaths.