Rock stonecrop
Petrosedum rupestre · Crassulaceae
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around rock stonecrop and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Foliage
- Evergreen, fleshy and bluish
- Flowering
- June to August, star-shaped yellow flowers
- Adult size
- 10 to 15 cm tall, 20 to 30 cm spread
- Growth
- Slow to moderate
- Hardiness
- Down to -15°C, excellent for temperate winters
- Origin
- Alps and rocky Mediterranean regions
- Soil type
- Very well-drained, poor, rocky or sandy
Care
Watering
Rock sedum fears excess moisture: water moderately in summer during prolonged dry periods, especially in pots. In winter, drastically reduce or stop watering. Check that the soil dries completely between waterings.
Sunlight
Place this plant in full sun to promote an intense bluish tint and generous flowering. It tolerates partial shade but becomes more etiolated and flowers less abundantly there. Avoid dense shade.
Soil
Favor a very well-draining substrate: mix of cactus potting soil, coarse sand and gravel. On rocky slopes or stone walls, it thrives naturally. Avoid any moist or clayey soil which causes rot.
Pruning and maintenance
No pruning is really necessary. Remove dead or unsightly rosettes in late winter to encourage branching. Clean off faded flowers for a better appearance.
Fertilizing
This frugal plant only needs light feeding in spring if potted. Balanced or low-dose fertilizer is sufficient. In open ground or rockery, no feeding is necessary.
Diseases and pests
Rock sedum is very robust. The main risk remains root rot from excess moisture. Check drainage regularly. Mealybugs may exceptionally settle on it but remain rare outdoors.
Did you know?
Rock sedum is a pioneer plant of Alpine and Mediterranean cliffs: it colonizes the most inhospitable rock crevices thanks to its fleshy leaves that accumulate water and its very shallow roots. Its name Petrosedum literally means 'stone sedum,' reflecting its preferred habitat. Since antiquity, sedums have been associated with protection and luck in popular traditions.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring, once all risk of frost has gone. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: from April to June.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Biting stonecropSedum acre
- Cobweb HouseleekSempervivum arachnoideum
- Pacific stonecropSedum spathulifolium
- Pig's earCotyledon orbiculata
- Tree roofleek, Tree aeoniumAeonium arboreum
- Autumn stonecropHylotelephium spectabile
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.