Scientific Name
Sedum oxypetalum Kunth
Common Name(s)
Dwarf Tree Stonecrop
Synonym(s)
Sedum arborescens, Sedum peregrinum
Scientific Classification
Family: Crassulaceae
Subfamily: Sempervivoideae
Tribe: Sedeae
Genus: Sedum
Origin
Sedum oxypetalum is native to Mexico.
Description
Sedum oxypetalum is a succulent shrub with much-branched stems with flaking bark and papillose twigs that hold green, finely papillose leaves with a small notch at the tip. It can grow up to 3.3 feet (1 m) tall. The fruiting branches are deciduous with a distinct, predefined abscission layer. The leaves are oblanceolate or obovate, measuring up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) long and 0.8 inches (2 cm) wide.
The flowers are fragrant, star-shaped, white with a pinkish-apricot center, and appear in cymes with 3 or 4 branches in summer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20 °F (−6.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °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.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Sedum.
Links
- Back to genus Sedum
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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