![]() Most plants lose water through stomates, tiny breathing pores on the leaves. Waitakere park ranger Jason Duff finds joy in protecting one of Auckland's most vulnerable parks Some sedums have adapted to dry conditions by using crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis. If soil is heavy, add sand, gravel, or similar coarse material organic matter will improve drainage and aeration. Too much moisture or standing in water will quickly kill sedums – avoid low-lying sites in favour of slopes or slight inclines.Ĥ. Many sedums come from rocky slopes or deserts – they prefer poor lean soils, but the key to them doing well is good drainage.ģ. Most sedums like five or more hours of direct sunlight a day, the exception being highly variegated varieties, which need dappled light to avoid sunburn.Ģ. There is a sedum for any situation: stone walls, containers, weed suppression, challenging dry spots, tricky hillsides.ġ. If you can find a well-drained, sunny-ish spot in your garden, you have a place for sedums. However, there is more to sedums than filling dry spots. They conveniently fill difficult sites, which would otherwise grow weeds. These little saviours are also time-savers. READ MORE: 5 creeping sedums to fill in a drought-tolerant garden They happily colonise cracks in garden walls, shingle, gravel, and underneath massive trees, growing and prospering where grass won’t. Some creeping sedum varieties seem to defy all odds, growing where no other plant will. One of the best plants for these conditions are sedums. Not only is it a beautiful, maintenance-free plant, its dramatic changes as it goes through its yearly cycle of life will keep you fascinated from spring until frost.Water is already a scarce summer resource for many gardeners. And come autumn it brings the house down with its beautiful deep, red-pink flowers set among the orange, red and gold fall foliage of surrounding plants.Īutumn Joy sedum is the perfect plant for a Santa Fe garden. The Autumn Joy sedum is content to provide a lush, green backdrop to spring and summer bloomers, while it patiently waits for its time in the limelight. Autumn Joy sedum rarely fails to keep its promise. Do not worry if it freezes to the ground in the winter and totally disappears after the dead foliage has been cleared away. Plant in rock gardens, along walkways and borders and among other plants in the flowerbed. Drought tolerant, the Autumn Joy sedum should be planted in full sun in just about any type of soil from sand to clay, acidic to alkaline – it doesn’t seem to mind. However, rabbits and deer avoid it…a real plus for hard-working gardeners. Virtually maintenance-free, this perennial has low water requirements, and is often visited by bees, butterflies and the colorful Tarantula Hawk wasp, which is the New Mexico state insect. The faded flowers are also used in dried flower arrangements. ![]() The flowers eventually fade to a russet brown, extending its addition of color to a garden until the first hard frost. These florets gradually change color from the pale green to a dusty, rosy pink and continue to deepen in color to an ultimate rich, deep red-pink hue. Pale green, umbel-shaped florets that resemble broccoli are borne at the top of the stems. The plant will continue to grow from 1 ½ to 3 feet, stretching out its fleshy, gray-green, serrated leaves to form a nicely compact, round shape. In early spring a patch of small, green clusters of leaves emerging from the soil resemble a miniature cabbage patch. This hardy perennial is absolutely fascinating to observe through every stage of its life cycle. And unlike many Eurasian plants introduced to North America, the Autumn Joy sedum is not invasive. It has adapted very well to the United States in all but the most northern states, the southern tip of Florida and along the coastline of southern California. The Autumn Joy sedum is a cultivar of the Hylotelephium telephium, which is a native of Eurasia.
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