Common Name: stonecrop
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Crassulaceae
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 1.75 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 2.25 to 2.50 feet
Bloom Time: August to September
Bloom Description: Creamy white and dark red
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, Good Cut, Good Dried
Attracts: Butterflies
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, particularly once established. Plants must have good soil drainage to perform well. Plants generally thrive in sandy to gravelly soils of average to moderate fertility. Plants grown in overly rich soils or in too much shade will produce weak, floppy growth. Plants slowly spread over time.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Sedum is a genus of about 400 species found mainly in the mountainous areas of North America but some also in dry area of South America. Most are succulent. They are tough, drought tolerant, easy-to-grow perennials that feature star-shaped flowers in clusters blooming on fleshy-leaved plants ranging from mat-forming ground covers to clump-forming upright mounds. Some of the most popular garden plants are hybrids.
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).
Plants in the genus Sedum are commonly called stonecrops because they are typically found in the wild growing on rocky or stony areas.
'Back in Black' is a dark-leaved, hybrid sedum selection that features nearly black, succulent leaves and dense flower clusters held on sturdy stems. Mature clumps will reach 2' tall with a 2.5' spread and upright mounding growth habit. Terminal, branching flower clusters of small blooms with creamy white petals and contrasting dark red carpels bloom from late summer into early fall. The leaves are rounded with a few blunt teeth along their margins and will reach around 2.5" long and 2" wide. Commonly sold at nurseries and garden centers under the name ROCK 'N GROW. US plant patent PP33632 applies to this cultivar.
Problems
Watch for slugs and snails. Scale may occur. Rotting out is possible in wet and/or poorly drained conditions. Taller sedum hybrids with large flower heads are susceptible to flopping. This can be avoided by providing full sun conditions and planting in soils that are not too moist or rich. Pinching in spring can also force stems to grow thicker and bushier.
'Back in Black' has upright stems that avoid flopping later in the growing season. The foliage also offers improved resistance to powdery mildew.
Uses
Border fronts or rock gardens. Best massed or in groups. Small area ground cover. Site in areas where both the foliage and flowers may be appreciated. Also effective in containers.
The relatively tall stems of 'Back in Black' can be used in fresh-cut flower arrangements and have a vase life of around one week.