Benefits of Growing Sedum Plants

In autumn, the earthy colors of the season—russets, golds and buffs—signal that cooler temperatures are on the way. And nothing takes the stage this time of year like the classic perennial border sedum, Autumn Joy. With its garnet-hued Flower heads, Autumn Joy has become something of a sedum poster child.

But it’s by no means the only worthy example of this broad family of plants. Many charming sedums offer a surprising variety of flower and foliage colors sure to capture your imagination and enhance your garden—and not just in autumn.

Plus, most sedums are just as low-maintenance as Autumn Joy, asking little more than a sunny spot in well-draining soil. Because they are technically succulents, they survive drought or neglect, thanks to their juicy, moisture-retaining leaves and tough root systems. And unlike their relatives, jade and cacti, sedums are cold-hardy in much of the country.

Read on for some of the loveliest, most easy-care and widely available choices.

Grow Autumn Fire sedum for late season color.

Sedum Plant Care Tips

• Sun: Full sun is best, although partial shade is tolerable in hotter areas.
• Soil: Well-draining soil of average quality suits sedums.
• Water: For border sedums, maintain beauty and health with regular watering; just don’t overdo it.
• Fertilizer: Not necessary! Sedums grow robustly without a lot of fertilizer.
• Pests and diseases: These problems are mercifully rare. Aphids may gather on the leaves of young border sedums and can be evicted with a stiff spray of the hose.
• Planting time: Spring is best. In milder climates, fall planting also works. Just make sure to get your sedums in the ground before the first frost.
• Division: Divide clumps every 3 to 5 years. Otherwise, many sedums lose vigor.

Use Tall Sedums in Borders

Border sedums generally fall within the 1- to 2- foot range, and Autumn Joy is the most familiar example. They grow more or less erect and have dense, domed flower heads composed of tiny starry flowers, much like a colorful broccoli head. Foliage is thick, fleshy and succulent, and runs from sage and green to smoky blue to maroon in color.

Most border sedums come to life in summer with lime-green buds that open to pink or white flowers. These tend to deepen to a dark pink or red and then segue to a rich rust or bronze as season comes to a close.

Sedums not only offer dynamic beauty from summer to fall, but they also provide a popular stage for butterflies. And if your winters are not too harsh, they will hold their ground for months longer still—their broad forms contrasting with the brown, threadbare foliage of nearby plants or perhaps gathering a cap of snow on top of their dried flowerheads.

Border Sedum Companion Plants

Border sedums thrive in the company of other plants because they are easy-going and nonaggressive. They look great among late-season bloomers such as asters, cultivated goldenrods and boltonias, where they contribute contrasting or harmonizing color. Gray- or silver-leaved companions, like artemisia and sage, have the advantage of complementing the changing colors of your border sedums from season to season.

Try interplanting border sedums with ornamental grasses or blade-leaved favorites like irises and daylilies (whose flowers are gone, or nearly gone, by the time sedums come into their own). With their fountains of narrow foliage, they create a nice backdrop for your statuesque sedum.

If you prefer to avoid matchmaking, cherish the colorful flowerheads by massing your border sedums. No doubt about it, a patch or ribbon of them makes a dazzling spectacle. Or experiment by adding a few new varieties to your perennial border to create a tapestrylike effect.

Gorgeous Low-Growing Sedums

There is also a host of low-growing ground-cover sedums, or “stonecrops” as some nurseries call them. These little charmers usually remain about 4 to 6 inches high as they sprawl.

Like their bigger cousins, they have succulent leaves (which tend to be evergreen in mild climates), carry their starry flowers in clusters and thrive in average soil and sunny spots.

Because of their smaller size, ground-cover sedums are often used as botanical carpets, either on open ground or lounging over rocks and walls (note that a massed, lush look takes a few seasons to develop). Alas, they are generally not tough enough to withstand foot traffic.

Individual plants, particularly those with striking foliage or flowers, are terrific for rock gardens, although you sometimes have to curtail their wandering ways by yanking out a few.

These sedums can also soften the edges of formal displays in urn-type planters or trough gardens. Solo, they’ll thrive in shallow pots filled with gritty soil.

Many gardeners prefer these ground covers by themselves or paired with one another. I know an adventurous gardener who scooped up flats full of low-lying sedums on sale at the end of the summer, planted them on an embankment, and has relished their handsome foliage and jewel-like color combinations ever since.

The related succulents, hens-and-chicks (Sempervirens), thrive in the same settings and are popular bedfellows. Their slightly larger scale and bold, star-shaped flower clusters make for dramatic contrasts. No matter how you employ them, you’ll appreciate how easy-going and dependably attractive these plants are.

Best Sedums for Borders

• Brilliant (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Brilliant’) reaches up to 1-1/2 feet high. Its large flower heads are bright mauve-pink.
• Matrona (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Matrona’) has sage-green to gray foliage with hints of lavender, edged pink. Its flowers are smoky pink.
• Meteor (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Meteor’) is very similar to Brilliant, but its rich pink-purple flowers are even more vivid.
• Ruby Glow (Hylotelephium ‘Ruby Glow’) boasts ruddy stems, ruby red flower heads and green leaves edged or tinged with dusky purple or red; it’s often under a foot in height.
• Stardust (Hylotelephium spectabile ‘Stardust’) has nearly white flowers and blue-green leaves.
• Sunset Cloud (Hylotelephium ‘Sunset Cloud’) sports chalky blue leaves; the flower heads are a rich, rosy red. It’s somewhat shorter than other border sedums.
• Vera Jameson (Hylotelephium ‘Vera Jameson’) has soft, waxy blue foliage that later turns purple-maroon or even bronze, and magenta flower heads—a gorgeous contrast. It is often less than a foot tall.

Best Sedums for Ground Covers

• Coral Carpet (Hylotelephium album ‘Coral Carpet’) sports tiny leaves that turn from a vibrant green to a reddish-bronze in winter; star-shaped white flowers appear above foliage.
• Russian stonecrop (Hylotelephium kamtschaticum) forms a dense mat of green leaves, vaguely resembling a tiny succulent version of pachysandra. The cultivar Variegatum has whiterimmed leaves.
• Christmas Cheer (Hylotelephium x rubrotinctum) stands under 6 inches, with yellow flowers and chubby red and green leaves. Hardy only in Zones 9 and 10, its red coloring becomes more pronounced in more light or colder weather, hence the name.
• Angelina stonecrop (Hylotelephium rupestre ‘Angelina’) is an aggressive spreader. It has bright yellow flowers and chartreuse foliage that often turns amber in the fall.
• Cape Blanco (Hylotelephium spathuliofolium ‘Cape Blanco’) features powdergray leaves, pink stems, and yellow flowers.
• Dragon’s Blood Two-Row Stonecrop (Hylotelephium spurium ‘Dragon’s Blood’) is dramatic, with its greenish bronze to darker red foliage and burgundy flowers.

The Best Fall Flowers to Grow

Q: “Besides mums, what fall flowers should I plant to get more blooms and color in autumn?” asks Judy Roberts, Graytown, Ohio.

Horticultural expert Melinda Myers says: Mums definitely signal the end of the growing season, but native asters, turtleheads and goldenrods are also excellent options. Try sunny Ohio goldenrod or the cultivar Fireworks. They provide nectar for pollinators preparing for winter or migrating to their southern homes.

Asters are a late-blooming, bee and butterfly friendly flower that looks gorgeous in the garden and in a fall floral display.

Psst—these are some of the best flowers that attract bees.

“One of my favorite nonnative plants is toad lily (pictured below). The flowers may remind you of orchids and appear along or at the tip of the plant’s stem. Native and noninvasive ornamental grasses also provide texture year-round, and many flower in fall, producing attractive seed heads that last through winter,” Melinda says.

When landscaping, don’t forget about shrubs for autumn beauty. These are the best fall shrubs for your garden.

Reader Picks for Fall Flowers

• Autumn Joy sedum. These plants not only put on a beautiful show in fall, but light green foliage accents the garden all summer. Everyone should plant them!” says Bonnie Vaden, Byhalia, Mississippi
• Obedient plant (Physostegia) is one of my favorite late-summer plants. I love the color and height,” says Judy Ellis, Toledo, Ohio.
• Brown-eyed Susans pop up almost anywhere, with lots of sweet little blooms that last a long time. This plant is also called the three-lobed coneflower,” says Kathy Baus, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
• “Solidago, also known as goldenrod—it grows wild in my garden. I used to call it the back-to-school flower because it blooms about the time I wanted summer to go on and on,” says Carolyn Hopper, Bozeman, Montana.
• “Mums are always nice. They say autumn just as much as pumpkins and colored leaves do,” says Linda Andrews, Canterbury, Connecticut.
• “I love purple pansies. They’re beautiful with their yellow throats— so dainty and delicate,” says Jerrie Carney Coler, Cairo, Illinois.

Next, discover the best late summer and fall flowers for hummingbirds.

Gardeners can’t resist the beauty of roses. But many roses are highly susceptible to black spot and other problems, while others can be finicky and fail to thrive. You can keep the love alive with these rose selections. All of them are disease resistant, vigorous and so long-lived you can count on them for decades of blooms in your garden. We hope you’ll find your soul mate among the types we’ve included in our list of the best roses. Unless noted, these roses flourish in Zones 5 to 9 and Zone 10 in the West.

Discover the best types of roses for every garden.

There’s no need for “Dear Abby” in the garden. Just go to your friends or neighbors with your plant question or problem, and they’re pretty much guaranteed to have some fool-proof gardening solutions. But how do you know those tried-and-true tips, often passed down from one generation to the next, actually work? Gardeners are great at giving advice, but that doesn’t mean you should always follow them.

Alstroemeria Flower Care

• Alstroemeria
• Zones: 6 to 10
• Light needs: Full sun
• Soil: Well-draining

This resilient perennial flower blooms for months, from summer through fall. Alstroemeria can be planted with other flowers in containers or featured all on its own in a border. It will return year after year when kept in well-draining soil in a sunny location. Deer typically leave it alone.

Consider adding these plants to your cutting garden. The tropical-looking flowers will stay fresh for two weeks or even longer in a vase. For best results, pull (don’t cut) flower stems when they first open.

The vibrant, exotic look of alstroemeria is also super attractive to hummingbirds looking for a colorful source of nectar. In excessively hot or dry conditions, flowering may slow down, but it should pick back up in cooler fall weather. This is a favorite perennial for gardeners in the West, where the plants flower all summer. Fertilize and water your plants regularly, but make sure the soil is not soggy or the tubers could rot.

There are many colors to choose from. The Summer Saint cultivar features bright pink blooms. For vivid yellow and orange flowers, try Indian Summer.

See the top 10 beautiful lily flowers to love.

Other Common Names

Alstroemeria is also commonly known as Peruvian lily, Lily of the Incas or Inca lily. Some people mistakenly think they are miniature versions of true lilies, however, these plants are in the Alstroemeriaceae family, not the Liliaceae family, and are native to Central and South America.

Daylily care 101: expert growing tips for gardeners.

Where to Buy Alstroemeria

If you want to grow these flowers in your own backyard, check with your local garden center or look at online for growers and garden retailers such as Burpee. These long-lasting blooms are also popular choices for bouquets and other floral arrangements, so consider them when you want to send flowers to someone special.

Shop Now

Next, learn how to care for Oriental lily and Asiatic lily plants.

Red Hot Poker Care

• Common name: Red-hot poker, torch flower or torch lily
• Scientific name: Kniphofia hybrids
• Zones 5 to 9
• Soil: Well-draining soils
• Light needs: Full sun
• Attracts: Birds, bees and butterflies

It’s easy to see how this sun-loving stunner earned its name. Red hot poker is one of the most dramatic and visually appealing flowers in the garden. You only need a few plants to make an absolutely spectacular display.

The plants grow up to 4 feet high and are among the earlier summer bloomers. Red hot poker works well as a focal point in borders, or as a specimen plant in a small-space garden.

Keep these perennials happy with well-draining soil. They’re prone to rot in boggy or even moist soil. They make great cut flowers, but you’ll want to leave plenty for the hummingbirds, bees and butterflies to enjoy.

Flashpoint has chartreuse yellow buds that mature to creamy white; try Orange Blaze for bright orange blooms. Poco Sunset offers dramatic, long-lasting bicolored blooms in a dwarf size.

See the top 10 beautiful lily flowers to love.

Torch Lilies Are Not True Lilies

Red hot poker plants are also commonly known as torch lilies. Even though they are in the lily family, they do not closely resemble true lilies like Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies.

Learn the difference between a true lily vs a daylily.

Stop Deer From Eating Red Hot Poker Plants

“Something is eating the flowers off my red hot poker plant each year. What could it be and what should I do?” asks Brenda Cookus of Midlothian, Virginia.

Horticultural expert Melinda Myers says, “When larger parts of a plant are missing, animals like deer, rabbits, chipmunks or squirrels are usually the culprits. When just a few flowers disappear at a time, birds are often the ones dining on your plant. Try covering the plants with netting or row covers to see if this stops the damage. An organic, rain-resistant repellent such as Plantskydd will protect your plants from hungry critters but won’t dissuade the birds.”

Daylily care 101: expert growing tips for gardeners.

Birds That Love Red Hot Poker

Orioles

“I love orioles, and they love the red hot poker plants in my backyard. This male Bullock’s oriole was feeding on the blooms. The plants have sturdy stems that are strong enough to support a bird’s weight. As many as four orioles feed simultaneously on my poker patch. I hope more people will plant this spectacular flower for this beautiful bird!” says Marina Schultz of Fruita, Colorado.

Cedar Waxwings

“My neighbor’s side lot is completely filled with red hot poker plants. Every spring, I look forward to hearing the sweet buzzy tweets that signal the arrival of migrating cedar waxwings. This group was exceptionally busy—and hungry! The waxwings munch the flowers down until the stalks look like used corncobs,” says Amy Williams of Lincoln City, Oregon.

Goldfinches

“I was admiring and photographing these blooming red hot pokers on an early summer morning in Reno, Nevada, when the pictured lesser goldfinch flew in for a quick nectar shot. He stayed but 30 seconds, allowing me several shots with my Nikon Z7, and was then on his way. It was as if the scene was scripted, and laid out in a perfect photographic scenario—which most photographers will tell you rarely happens. For me, a perfect morning outing,” says Jim Nelson.

Blue Grosbeaks

“I kept seeing a gorgeous male blue grosbeak visit the red hot pokers just outside my dining room window, but each time I attempted to go outside to catch a photo, he’d fly away. My wonderful husband, Tim, took out the window’s screen so I could sit indoors and snap pictures of the bird eating from the flowers only several feet away. This worked brilliantly, and I was able to capture many delightful photos. I love the contrast of his sapphire blue and rusty coloring against the bright flowers,” says Laurie Stuchlik of Milton, Delaware.

Hummingbirds

“After a gloomy, rainy summer day, the sun peaked out during golden hour in my backyard. This ruby-throated hummingbird buzzed all around and decided to dine at the red hot poker plant right by me. The bird generously allowed me to stay close, which was a delight after spending many months patiently waiting to capture one eating from the flowers instead of a feeder,” says Amy Phillips.

Next, check out lovely pictures of lilies you need to see.

Asiatic Lily Care

Botanical Name: Lilium asiatica
Growing Zone: 4 to 9
Light Needs: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-draining

Asiatic lilies grow best in full sun to part shade, with at least six hours of full sun preferred. Plant your Asiatic lily bulbs in late summer or early fall. Secure them in soil that drains well—plants and bulbs won’t tolerate consistently soggy soil and may rot in overly wet conditions. Bulbs should be placed at a depth of 8 inches and spaced 4 to 6 inches apart, with the flat end facing down.

When the petals on Asiatic lilies fade, carefully cut the blooms off, but keep the foliage intact. Fertilize when blooms emerge in the spring, and water when soil is dry. Be mindful of pests when growing these flowers. A variety of garden foes have a taste for Asiatic lilies, including aphids, moles, gophers, rabbits and deer.

Discover other lily flowers to add to your garden, including the more fragrant oriental lilies.

Asiatic Lily Garden Benefits

Plants typically flower in early or midsummer, depending on the variety. Not only do these beauties offer a sturdy place for birds to perch; they also attract beneficial pollinators. They make for lovely cut flowers, but be cautious; lily pollen can stain clothing or household surfaces.

Learn how to tell the difference between a true lily vs a daylily.

Where to Buy Asiatic Lilies