Plant Library
Winter Fire® Sedum
Sedum rupestre 'Rice Creek'
Height: 8 inches
Spacing: 8 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 3a
Other Names: syn. Petrosedum rupestre, Stonecrop
Brand: Plant Select
Description:
This outstanding variety features rustic green foliage that takes on ember tones in fall, progressing to deep burgundy in winter; clusters of yellow flowers in summer; has a low habit that is great for planters; excellent in rock gardens, or as edging
Ornamental Features
Winter Fire® Sedum features showy clusters of yellow star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late summer. Its attractive tiny succulent pointy leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning green in color with hints of rose. As an added bonus, the foliage turns gorgeous shades of coral-pink, red and burgundy in the fall.
Landscape Attributes
Winter Fire® Sedum is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.
This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;
- Spreading
Winter Fire® Sedum is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Winter Fire® Sedum will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 8 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.
This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Winter Fire® Sedum is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.