Family Crassulaceae
Originating from Western North America
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- Purple-silver evergreen leaves form a succulent mat.
- Star-shaped golden blooms flower all summer long.
- Low, spreading groundcover thrives in sunny borders.
Stonecrop in Your Garden
Purple sedum foliage weaves a lush tapestry, forming a wide-spreading mat of succulent, evergreen leaves with a silvery-purple hue. It makes a cool carpeting addition to contemporary Norwich outdoor living spaces in Norfolk. Alternatively, it’s a highly ornamental ground cover for gravel gardens in Suffolk spilling over terracotta pots on traditional patios.
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Purpureum’ softens hard landscaping surfaces or mulches with its lush mat. An evergreen succulent, reaching 10cm high and 50cm wide in 2–5 years, it is hardy for all UK gardens. Its pollinator-attracting gold star flowers are borne on short stems from June to August.
Its dense, low growth makes an ideal drought-tolerant groundcover amongst spiky Mediterranean plants. Easy to grow in well-drained soil in full sun, it’s ideal for water-wise borders or rockeries. Minimal care makes it a hardy favorite.
Care Tips for Sedum ‘Purpureum’, the purple Stonecrop
- Soil and Sun: Plant in any non-acidic, well-drained soil; full sun boosts colour.
- Planting: Set in spring; water to establish roots.
- Watering: Minimal once established; tolerates drought.
- Pruning: Remove faded flower stems in autumn; divide clumps in spring.
Purple sedum foliage is invaluable for adding detail and texture close to sitting areas for close-up viewing. Mature plants create bold impact in borders with colorfully tinted silver foliage and gold blooms. Its drought tolerance and low maintenance make it a versatile, textural star.
Planting Ideas for Stonecrop
Create a moonscape with mounds of succulent magic. Plant fleshy and silvery foliage around Yucca rostrata, ‘Bright Edge’, glauca, and filamentosa ‘Color Guard’ to create striking contrast. Add Carpobrotus edulis, Lampranthus ‘roseus’, spectabilis ‘Yellow Flowered’ and ‘Tresco Purple’ to extend the surreal succulent ground covering. They also provide a wild summer blast of colour to the spread of silvery foliage.
Let the cute and compact purple sedum foliage contrast with taller flower and foliage forms, spilling over pots or planters. Aeoniums ‘Zwartkop’, ‘Atropurpureum’, and arboreum’s upright architectural forms are complemented by its soft carpets. Underplant Cordylines ‘Jive’ and ‘Superstar’ with sedum in pots for a cascading platform.
