Common Name: stonecrop
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Crassulaceae
Zone: 6 to 9
Height: 0.25 to 0.50 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to July
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Colorful
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade. Also tolerates drought and heat. Thrives in sandy to gravelly soils of moderate to low fertility. Needs good soil drainage to perform well. Plants will naturalize to form an excellent ground cover. Plants should be sited in protected locations in the St. Louis area which is at the far northern limit of where this plant will survive winter.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Sedum lineare is a mat-forming evergreen stonecrop that is native to eastern Asia. It typically grows to 4-6" tall but spreads by erect to decumbent stems to 12" or more wide. Narrow, linear to linear-lanceolate leaves (to 1 1/4" long) are light green. Yellow flowers (to 5/8" wide) bloom in cymes in late spring to early summer.
Genus name comes from the Latin word sedeo meaning to sit in reference to the general growing habit of many of the sedums (they sit and sprawl over rocks).
Specific epithet refers to the linear leaves.
Sedums are commonly called stonecrops in reference to the fact that many of the sedum species plants are typically found in the wild growing on rocky or stony ledges.
'Variegatum' leaves are light green with a creamy white edge.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Watch for slugs and snails. Scale may occur.
Uses
Excellent ground cover. Border fronts or rock gardens. Best massed or in groups. Site in areas where both the foliage and flowers may be appreciated. Effective in containers. Containers may be overwintered indoors in areas north of USDA Zone 6.