Sedum “Autumn Joy’ is a very special plant and is an asset in every garden. It gives year round interest beginning in early spring when mounds of green foliage push up softening the look of the bare ground. Tall stems bearing fleshy blue-green leaves grow during the spring until mid summer when the flower buds appear. These buds develop over a long time and are the prettiest stage of the flowering, as they slowly turn pink, until the flowers open a rich salmon pink. As they flowers mature they turn ruddy burgundy, then mahogany, and finally dark brown when they die. Spectacular!
Type: Herbaceous perennial.
Bloom: Pink to brick red clusters of flowers are borne in terminal clusters on 24” gray-green stems in August, lasting until frost.
Size: 24” H x 24” W.
Light: Full sun; tolerates some shade but may become floppy.
Soil: Average, well drained soil. Too much water will cause the plants to become floppy.
Fertilizer: Apply 5-10-10 when shoots first emerge in spring. Be careful not to over fertilize or the plants may become floppy.
Hardiness: Zones 3-9.
Care: If you want to increase the number of flowering shoots, shear back the whole plant by half when it is about 8” tall. After frost you can prune down the flowering stalks to the ground. The dead flower heads are quite attractive so you can put off this task until spring if you like the winter interest they add winter.
Pests and Diseases: Termites in dry weather can be a problem but a drenching of insecticide will solve the problem. Rabbits or deer may nibble the new shoots in spring.
Propagation: Terminal stem cuttings 4-6” in length taken in summer root easily; divisions may be taken in spring or fall.
Companion plants: Aster “Purple Dome, Aster ‘Alma Potschke’, Black eyed Susan, ‘Red Baron’ blood grass (Imperata cylindrical), and purple muhly grass (Mulenbergia filipes).
Karen Meyers