Autumn Joy Sedum
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Also called stonecrop
Autumn Joy Sedum blooms from August through October.
Mature size, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not.
Growing Autumn Joy Sedum
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Autumn Joy Sedum
Plant Autumn Joy 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 August to October.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
8 more colors in the Sedum family
Same family, similar care - pick the one you are growing.
Good to know about Autumn Joy Sedum
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Worth knowing
The classic flop, where the clump splits open in late summer, comes from kindness: rich soil, too much water, or too much shade all make soft, top-heavy stems. per NC State
Zones vary by source
Sources list zones 3a to 10b, 4a to 9b, or 3 to 9. Zone 3 survival depends on sharp winter drainage, since wet, cold soil rots the crown. per NC State and Missouri Botanical
Color changes all season
The flower heads open light pink, deepen to rose or cherry red at peak bloom, then age to coppery rust or bronze in fall. That shift is its signature. per NC State
Late-season pollinator magnet
A major fall nectar and pollen source: the flat heads of many small florets feed bees and butterflies late in the year, when little else is blooming. per NC State and University of Missouri
Leave seed heads for winter
Do not cut it down in fall. The stiff stems and dried rust-to-mahogany seed heads stand through winter, adding structure and feeding birds. Cut old stems in early spring. per NC State
The Chelsea chop fix
For a sturdier, shorter clump, cut it back: pinch in early spring for thicker stems, or do the Chelsea chop, cutting stems by a third to a half. per NC State
What pairs well with Autumn Joy 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.
Thyme
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Smokebush
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it.
Bachelor's Button
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Perennial Salvia
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
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; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border.
Penstemon
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early summer and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; purple sits close to pink on the wheel.
Asiatic Lily
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early summer, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Spirea
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in late spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
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