Scientific Name
Rhodiola pachyclados (Aitch. & Hemsl.) H. Ohba
Common Name(s)
Gray Stonecrop, Silver Gem Stonecrop
Synonym(s)
Rhodiola primuloides var. pachyclados, Sedum pachyclados
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sempervivoideae
Tribe: Umbiliceae
Genus: Rhodiola
Origin
Rhodiola pachyclados is native to the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It grows at altitudes from 8,000 to 11,000 feet (2,440 to 3,350 m).
Description
Rhodiola pachyclados, formerly known as Sedum pachyclados, is a lovely succulent with small, tight rosettes of fleshy, blue-green leaves with crenulated margins. It spreads by slender rhizomes, slowly forming a mat or lovely hummocks. The leaves are ovate with narrower ends at the base and can measure up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) long and 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) wide.
Clusters of white flowers appear in summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 4a to 9b: from −30 °F (−34.4 °C) to 30 °F (−1.1 °C).
How to Grow and Care
When growing Sedums, keep in mind that these plants need very little attention or care. They will thrive in conditions many other plants thrive in but do just as well in less hospitable areas. They are ideal for that part of your yard that gets too much sun or too little water to grow anything else. A common name for Sedum is Stonecrop because many gardeners joke that only stones need less care and live longer.
Sedum is easily planted. For shorter varieties, laying the plant on the ground where you want it to grow is usually enough to start it there. They will send out roots from wherever the stem touches the ground and root itself. If you would like to ensure further that the plant will start there, you can add a very thin covering of soil over the plant.
You can break off one of the stems for taller varieties and push it into the ground where you want to grow it. The stem will root very easily, and a new plant will be established in a season or two.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Sedum.
Links
- Back to genus Rhodiola
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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