Common Name: stonecrop
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Crassulaceae
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: Dusky pinkish purple
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Colorful
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Rabbit, Deer, Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil, Air Pollution
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.
'Purple Emperor’ is a hybrid perennial sedum that typically grows in upright to slightly spreading clumps to 15” tall. Masses of tiny, star-like, dusky pinkish-purple flowers bloom in large flattened heads (cymes to 3-6” across) atop stems clad with dark purple, fleshy, succulent leaves. Long mid-summer to early fall bloom. Flowers are attractive to butterflies and bees. Foliage is effective throughout the growing season. Upright sedums were at one point separated into the genus Hylotelephium, but are now generally included back in the genus Sedum.
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.
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.