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Creeping Sedum
Sedum
Also called stonecrop and creeping stonecrop
Also comes in white, pink and red.
Creeping Sedum blooms from June through August.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Creeping Sedum
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 4 in tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Creeping Sedum
Plant Creeping Sedum in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Good to know about Creeping Sedum
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Common groundcover stonecrops are non-toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA lists Sedum album), but a few such as S. acre can mildly irritate skin or upset the stomach. per ASPCA and NC State
Worth knowing
It runs on Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM): it takes up carbon dioxide at night with its pores shut by day, which is how it survives baking, thin, dry sites. per Horticulturae
Evergreen depends on species
Some hold their leaves all winter (S. acre stays evergreen), while others like S. album redden and drop them. For year-round cover, choose an evergreen species. per NC State
Deer resistant, not deer-proof
Species pages list creeping sedums deer and rabbit resistant, but the genus note warns they can still be browsed. Treat them as resistant, not immune. per NC State
The top green-roof plant
Sedum is the most commonly used plant for extensive green roofs: resilient, low-maintenance, and shallow-rooted enough to thrive in the thin substrate up there. per Horticulturae and NC State
Some types spread aggressively
A few fast creepers turn weedy: S. acre can overwhelm plants its own height, and S. sarmentosum can smother young seedlings, though its shallow roots pull out easily. per NC State
A native for shade
Most creeping sedums demand hot, dry sun, but the native woodland stonecrop, S. ternatum, takes shade and moister ground, the pick for a shadier or damper spot. per NC State
Bees and butterflies feed
The open, nectar-rich star flowers draw bees and butterflies, and birds take the seed; it is a recognized bee-forage plant on pollinator green roofs. per NC State
What pairs well with Creeping Sedum
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Creeping Phlox
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; pink against yellow, for contrast.
Russian Sage
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; both are strong pollinator plants.
Monkshood
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; stands well above at 3.9 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both offer pollinator forage.
Cosmos
Shares full sun and low water; stands well above at 3.3 ft, a canopy to plant beneath; both are strong pollinator plants.
Giant Allium
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Autumn Crocus
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Bidens
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 12 in, for the layer behind it.
Bachelor's Button
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; taller at 2.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
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