Sedum
From The Plant Encyclopedia
Sedum, Stonecrop, Stone Crop
Aden Earth Zone
1 - 20
Cultivation
- Cultivation: Naturalizing, Low-Maintenance, Easy-To-Grow, For-Gardeners
- Light: Sun, Part-Shade
- Soil: Mid-Fertility, Poor, Clay, Sand, Rock
- pH: 6, 7, 8
- Moisture: Dry
Characteristics
- Form: Groundcover, Herbaceous
- Habit: Evergreen, Perennial
- Flower: Large, Medium, Small, Green, Yellow, Red, Pink, White
- Fruit/Seed: Small
- Foliage: Succulent, Variegated, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Pink, Purple, Black
- Uses: Edible, Ornamental
About
Sedum is a large Genus of Flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf Succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to Shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves. The flowers usually have five Petals, seldom four or six. There are typically twice as many Stamens as Petals.
Well known European Sedums are Sedum acre, Sedum album, Sedum dasyphyllum, Sedum reflexum (also known as Sedum rupestre) and Sedum hispanicum.
Uses
Ornamental
Many sedums are cultivated as Garden plants, due to their interesting and attractive appearance and hardiness. The various species differ in their requirements; some are cold-hardy but do not tolerate heat, some require heat but do not tolerate cold.
As food
The leaves of all stonecrops are edible.
Sedum reflexum, known as "prickmadam," "stone orpine," or "crooked yellow stonecrop," is occasionally used as a Salad leaf or Herb in Europe, including the United Kingdom. It has a slightly Astringent Sour taste.
Sedum divergens, known as "spreading stonecrop," was eaten by First Nations people in Northwest British Columbia. The plant is used as a salad herb by the Haida and the Nisga'a people. It is common in the Nass Valley of British Columbia.
Medicinal
Biting Stonecrop (Sedum acre) contains high quantities of Piperidine Alkaloids (namely (+)-Sedridine, (-)-Sedamine, Sedinone and Isopelletierine), which give it a sharp, peppery, acrid taste and make it somewhat toxic. S. acre was used to treat Epilepsy and Skin disease, as well as induce miscarriage in Ancient Greece. Outright consumption may cause irritations of the Mucous membranes, Cramps, Paralysis, and respiratory paralysis.
Roofing
Sedum can be used to provide a Roof covering in Green roofs, where they are preferred to Grasses. Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant’s living roof has of sedum. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars plant in Goodwood, England has an roof complex covered in sedum, the largest in the United Kingdom.
Popular Cultivated Species
- Sedum acre – Wall-pepper, Goldmoss Sedum, Goldmoss Stonecrop, Biting Stonecrop
- Sedum adolphii – Golden Sedum
- Sedum aizoon – Aizoon Stonecrop
- Sedum album – White Stonecrop
- Sedum allantoides
- Sedum allantoides var. goldii'
- Sedum allantoides var. goldii'
- Sedum anacampseros – Love-restorer
- Sedum anglicum – English Stonecrop
- Sedum annuum – Annual Stonecrop
- Sedum atratum – Dark Stonecrop
- Sedum burrito – Baby Burro's-tail
- Sedum cepaea – Pink Stonecrop
- Sedum cockerellii Britt. – Cockerell's Stonecrop
- Sedum confusum – Lesser Mexican-stonecrop
- Sedum dasyphyllum – Thick-leaved Stonecrop
- Sedum debile S.Watson – Orpine Stonecrop, Weakstem Stonecrop
- Sedum dendroideum Moc. & Sessé ex A.DC. – Tree Stonecrop
- Sedum havardii Rose – Havard's Stonecrop
- Sedum hispanicum – Spanish Stonecrop
- Sedum hybridum – Hybrid Stonecrop
- Sedum japonicum – Tokyo Sun Stonecrop
- Sedum kamtschaticum – Orange Stonecrop, Kamschatka Stonecrop
- Sedum leibergii Britt. – Leiberg Stonecrop
- Sedum lineare – Needle Stonecrop
- Sedum lydium – Least Stonecrop
- Sedum mexicanum – Mexican Stonecrop
- Sedum moranense – Red Stonecrop
- Sedum moranense – Red Stonecrop
- Sedum moranii – Rogue River Stonecrop
- Sedum morganianum – Donkey Tail, Burro Tail
- Sedum nanifolium – Dwarf Stonecrop
- Sedum niveum – Davidson's Stonecrop
- Sedum nuttallianum – Yellow Stonecrop
- Sedum ochroleucum Chaix – European Stonecrop
- Sedum oregonense (S.Watson) M.E.Peck – Cream Stonecrop
- Sedum praealtum DC. – Greater Mexican stonecrop, Green Cockscomb
- Sedum pulchellum Michx. – Widow's-cross
- Sedum pusillum Michx. – Granite Stonecrop
- Sedum rupicola G.N.Jones – Curvedleaf Stonecrop
- Sedum sarmentosum Bunge – Stringy Stonecrop
- Sedum sediforme Pale Stonecrop
- Sedum sexangulare – Tasteless Stonecrop
- Sedum sieboldii – Siebold's stonecrop
- Sedum spurium – Caucasian Stonecrop, Dragon's Blood Sedum, Two-row Stonecrop
- Sedum stahlii – Coral Beads
- Sedum stellatum – Starry Stonecrop
- Sedum stelliforme S.Watson – Huachuca Mountain Stonecrop
- Sedum stenopetalum Pursh – Wormleaf Stonecrop, Yellow Stonecrop
- Sedum stoloniferum Gmel. – Lesser Caucasian Stonecrop, Stolon Stonecrop
- Sedum ternatum Michx. – Woodland Stonecrop
- Sedum villosum – Hairy Stonecrop, Purple Stonecrop
- Sedum wrightii Gray – Wright's Stonecrop
References
