Arboretum Spotlight: This stonecrop will melt your heart
This is part of a new weekly series featuring the UC Davis Arboretum’s “40 Plants You (Probably) Have Never Heard of – But Will Love,” 40 can’t-fail, easy-care, low-water plants well adapted to our region but hard to find.
Worm-leaved stonecrop
Sedum stenopetalum
Size: Ground cover, under 6 inches
Exposure: Full sun
Bloom season: Yellow flowers in summer
Pruning needs: Little or none; remove spent flowers to keep tidy.
Water needs: Medium water use; once established, water once a week.
Snapshot: This pretty little succulent will have you covered. It forms tiny pointed leaves that produce erect stalks of starry yellow flowers. It spreads as the stems root into the soil, forming a lush neon green carpet. A new plant for our area, it’s particularly useful to plant on “green” or “living roofs” or on vertical walls. The diminutive mat of tiny leaves makes it attractive as a container plant, mixed with other succulents, or spilling over the edge of a pot or retaining wall in a succulent bed.
▪ For more on 40 Plants, click on arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Arboretum Spotlight: This stonecrop will melt your heart."