Other Names:  Palmer's Sedum

Description:

An attractive succulent forming tight rosettes at the ends of trailing stems; sea-green foliage turn reddish pink in winter or strong sunlight; clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers rise up in late winter; great for spilling over walls or containers

Ornamental Features

Palmer's Stonecrop has masses of beautiful clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers with gold eyes rising above the foliage from late winter to early spring, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive small succulent oval leaves remain bluish-green in color with showy rose variegation and tinges of silver throughout the year. The gray stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Palmer's Stonecrop is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a trailing habit of growth, eventually spilling over the edges of hanging baskets and containers. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Palmer's Stonecrop is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Palmer's Stonecrop will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 15 inches apart. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.

Palmer's Stonecrop is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. Because of its trailing habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.