Hardy Sedums come to us from across the globe and have adapted perfectly to almost all arid, and even higher elevation, locales. Modern Succulents, of all kinds, have been bred into a massive array of foliage color options, variegated forms, sizes, and growth habits over the years - all of which exemplify the absolute apex of drought tolerance and low maintenance for sunny gardens. There are endless Stonecrops (Sedum sp.) to be found, in many forms, including both species and cultivars, and also a number of other useful Succulents like Hardy Ice Plant (Delosperma sp.) and Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum sp.). When sited and grown properly, all of these perennials will nearly fend for themselves and offer years of easy, yet showy garden performance.
Two major factors must be taken into account in our region: sunshine and drainage. With very few exceptions, Sedums and Succulents crave the hottest spots in the landscape and are ideal for slopes, rockeries, and sunny borders. Too much shade typically leads to powdery mildew or stem/crown rot in our maritime climate, and with taller growers it brings the inevitable “fall flop” as I call it – plants simply bend over or splay open instead of staying tidy and upright. Many times lower spreading, ground cover types are more tolerant of partial shade and will help keep weeds down (once established) as a bonus. Taller upright growers really do need full sun, at minimum all afternoon, to thrive in our area.
Drainage is all about your soil composition. Heavy clay is a no-go for sure, as is any where that you see water puddling in our wet winter and spring weather. Ideally they should be planted in well-drained, sandy, loam soil, and amending your native soil with a Cactus/Succulent type mix will help as well. This amendment ensures extra grit, including pumice, sand, fine rock and compost, which will all help move water away from crowns and roots. Cactus mix also serves as the consummate potting soil substitute if you are cultivating some in containers, as I often do. The term “hardiness” is sometimes misleading to gardeners, if you ask me. Succulents found at local garden centers are hardy to well below zero, many even to 30 degrees below zero. Simply put, if yours are struggling to come back in the spring it is not because they are freezing out with the cold, but rather it is the wet that is causing them to rot out.
All of these types of hardy Succulents offer excellent summer to fall flowering and are absolute pollinator magnets. Flower colors, depending on the specific variety, can range from bright white into all kinds of shades of pink, reds and almost purple. This burst of late summer flowers are a welcome addition to any landscape, and of huge benefit to our bees. Sedums are also a favorite of butterflies with their large, flat flower clusters – the perfect landing strip for them to stop, linger and borrow some nectar. As a bonus, Succulents resist both browsing deer and rabbits quite well.
The array of hardy options of all of these perennial Succulents is somewhat overwhelming. I could go on and on about this good one and that great one, so let me give you a few ideas to start the succulent juices flowing for your garden…
Hardy Ice Plants: They have the perfect slow, trailing habit for slopes, rockeries, and erosion control in hot, sunny areas. Very tiny fleshy foliage grows to maybe 2-inches tall and individual specimens may reach up to 18-inches across over time. Plant a few and go bold here with your flowers – orange and yellow even. The ‘Jewel of Desert’ series has it all with a bunch of color options like ‘Amethyst', ‘Ruby’, ‘Garnet’, ‘Peridot’, ‘Topaz’ and others. These will pop up their little flowers (as long as the sun is shining) from mid-summer until fall frost, all the while requiring nearly zero time or water from the gardener.
Sedums: Let’s try to break Stonecrops down into three options, like I mentioned above; upright (2 feet), mounding (less than 1 foot), and trialing (2 to 4 inches tall and spreading), all of which can be useful. Not to make things complicated for you, but these are also about foliage; striking variegated selections, red foliage, blue foliage, golden foliage, purplish foliage, and all shades of green of course. In addition, unique foliage is abundant in the world of Sedums, allowing you to create a wonderfully personalized look of both texture and color combinations. This is what I have done along my rockery over the years, adding one and then another, allowing them to mix and mingle resulting in a rainbow of fun colors. Some newer ones I would recommend are members of the 'SunSparkler Series'. They sport nice mounding habits, and flavors like ‘Blue Elf’, ‘Lime Twister’, and ‘Wildfire’ simply pop with foliage color.
Sempervivums: The mix of Hens and Chicks available is equally as varied, offering a number of distinct flavors. These are low-growing rosettes of foliage that multiply with age, adding both color and texture to mix in with other succulents. All have flowers, but they emerge on stalks and rise above the rosettes, and interesting look indeed. For some cool foliage I would seek ones like ‘Ruby Star’, ‘Twilight Blue’, ‘Gold Nugget’, ‘Appletini', ‘Mint Mound’, and 'Grape Galaxy’, to name just a few. These are awesome in containers, as I mix them with all of the options mentioned above for fun and unique planters in my own landscape.
Without hesitation, I invite you to explore your options for Succulents with a visit to your local garden center to see them glowing with foliage color and blooms this time of year. Speak with a Certified Professional Horticulturist about your needs and allow them to help you grow them successfully in your landscape. Use multiple varieties for contrast, adding both foliage color and different textures, all while taking advantage of their varied growth habits. In both the ground and in containers, hardy Succulents of all kinds will offer you countless low maintenance, water wise options that will dazzle you with their simple yet striking beauty.
