GardenDC Podcast Episode 265: Sedums Tall and Small with Brent Horvath

In this episode of GardenDC: The Podcast about Mid-Atlantic Gardening and Beyond, we talk with plantsman Brent Horvath all about sedums. The plant profile is on Thyme and we share what's going on in the garden as well as some upcoming local gardening events in the What's New segment. We close out with the Last Word on "Thanksgiving" from Christy Page of GreenPrints.

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy listening to:

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 130: Groundcovers versus Ground Covers

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2022/11/gardendc-podcast-episode-130.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 193: Epimediums

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2024/05/gardendc-podcast-episode-193-epimediums.html

~ GardenDC Podcast Episode 53: Superior Perennials

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/04/gardendc-podcast-episode-53-superior.html

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Show Notes will be posted after 11/30/25.

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Episode Credits:
Host and Producer: Kathy Jentz

Interview Edit and Show Notes: Cavit Ireland

Music: Let the Sunshine by James Mulvany

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Sedum 'Autumn Fire'

Plant Profile: Tall Sedum

There are two general types of Sedums for the garden – creeping Sedum groundcovers and tall sedum.  The tall type grows between 1to 3 feet high and perform best in full sun locations with well-draining soil.

   They thrive through summer’s dry heat and are extremely drought-tolerant. There is no need to fertilize this plant. If you do, the growth can become leggy and flop over.

   The tall Sedum varieties work well as border perennials or can be planted in groups to give a mass affect.  They combine well with Ornamental Grasses, Asters, and Echinacea.
   The taller, upright varieties of Sedum typically develop large flower heads in mid-summer and bloom from late summer through fall. The flowers can be left to dry and stay on over the winter to provide seeds for wildlife.

    Sedums are an easy perennial for even the novice gardener. They are very low maintenance, requiring virtually no pruning to shape. They make good cut flowers, attract pollinators, and are a great addition to any landscape.

   Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is a classic selection. Some of the newer selections to try include those with darker, purple leaves like ‘Vera Jameson’ and ‘Purple Emperor’ or bright, variegated foliage like ‘Frosted Fire’ or yellow flowers like ‘Lemonjade’.

   It is very easy to divide and propagate tall Sedums. Much like the other members of its large succulent family, you can pull out a few stems, strip off the leaves, and simply stick them in the ground. They will form new roots within a few weeks.

   Try a tall Sedum in your garden today – you can grow that!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine and edited by intern Jessica Kranz.

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Native Spotlight: Sedum ternatum

Guest Blog by Rachel Shaw 

Sedum and Carex

 An easy to grow shade-loving native groundcover

With few exceptions there’s not much green in the yard right now, covered as it is in a blanket of white. Under the layer of snow I know that a few green things survive. Most, unfortunately, are aggressive non-natives like English ivy, and the seemingly indomitable winter cress that has proven to be frustratingly hardy in my gravel driveway. But one of my favorite plants resting under the snow is Sedum ternatum, an evergreen groundcover native to much of the eastern U.S.

When I dug through the snow to take a look at one of my patches of Sedum, it didn’t look bad, but many of the leaves seemed so much tinier than I remembered  that I wasn’t sure I’d found the right plant. I found an explanation for this on the Missouri Botanic Garden’s website. In winter the stems break away and die, separating newly rooted plants from the mother plant.

Sedum ternatum is a small plant with nicely rounded fleshy leaves. Even at its peak of spring bloom it is no more than about six inches high, including the flower stalk. The white star-like flowers bloom for a few short weeks in April or May in our area.

early spring sedum

This versatile little groundcover likes moist conditions and part-shade to shade, but is also quite drought tolerant. In my yard it is one of the few things I have been able to grow under the dry shade of a large silver maple on a slope, together with the native Pennsylvania sedge, Carex pensylvanica. I have transplanted bits of it to the edge of my driveway, and from there to shady moist patches in the front yard. It seems happy wherever it lands.

It is easy to propagate (break a stem off and stick it in the ground) and to transplant. Just keep in mind that it is not the most rapid of spreaders, and as the plants are small, it is not the best choice for filling in a large space rapidly. On the other hand, if you decide for whatever reason that you need to take it out, removal is easy. But my guess is that you’ll want to spread it around the yard, not get rid of it!

About the author:

Rachel Shaw focuses on vegetable gardening and growing native plants in her small yard in Rockville, Maryland. She blogs at http://hummingbirdway.blogspot.com/.

    
This guest blog post is part of a monthly Native Plants series that Rachel will be posting here around the 10th of each month.

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