Long-lasting blooms with Helpful hylotelephiums
Trouble-free plants offering foliage interest as well as flowers, these pollinator pleasers are a must for the autumn garden – whatever you call them, says Camilla Phelps
GARDENERS could be forgiven for being confused about Hylotelephium. The plant group was formerly known as Sedum and they’re still commonly referred to as stonecrops, ice plants and orpines. Like sedums, hylotelephiums have succulent foliage and thrive in hot, sunny and dry conditions; but other than that they are quite different (for starters, they die back over winter).
Popular cultivars such as ‘Autumn Joy’, ‘Ruby Glow’ and the Brilliant Group are the most familiar. But the original species plant, Hylotelephium telephium, was once commonly found in British hedgerows. Other species such as
H. sieboldii, with unusual, disc-shaped, grey-green foliage on trailing stems, are rare finds. However, there are many new garden cultivars to choose from, offering variegated foliage, compact and taller growth, stem colourings from glaucous green to dark burgundy, and flowers in shades from white through pink to ruby.
Perfect plants for a wildlife-friendly, drought-tolerant border in full sun, hylotelephiums prefer alkaline soils and don’t work in shade. But given the right spot – they can be prone to root rot and mould in damp conditions – these are trouble-free plants that should simply be left to get on with growing.
Free-draining soil
If you don’t have the right soil, work in plenty of grit to boost drainage; but they’ll grow very well in containers too. A classic terracotta pot will really show them off, either as individual plants or as part of a mixed display.
With long-lasting flowers (blooming from August until October), the muted tones are great for punctuating a late summer border full of stronger colours.
Their strong, fleshy foliage brings seasonal structure while the flattened flowerheads, made up of clusters of tiny, starry blooms, add a blush of soft colour. They make the perfect landing platform for bees and are good companions for taller, late summer perennials such as dahlias, echinaceas and rudbeckias. They also work well with foliage plants like silver-leaved artemisias and grasses.
The only downside to hylotelephiums is their slightly lax habit – a tendency to splay out from the centre after a couple of years. Luckily, it’s a fault that can be redeemed by a judicious Chelsea chop in May, and also by dividing established plants every few years. This is easy to do and well worth the effort.