Expert’s choice
Border sedums These reliable hardy succulents are an autumn delight and their name’s been changed, says Graham Rice
The big news is that botanists at the RHS have been taking a close look at these hardy perennials for quite a few years and concluded that they’re just too different from the other plants named sedums for them all to be called the same thing. The next question was, what should they be called instead? And the answer is Hylotelephium – although it’s fair to say that some botanists disagree. So, at the moment, the scientific name we’ll use is
Hylotelephium, but it’s ok to continue to call them by their common name – sedum. However, they are all short, rather succulent, sun-loving hardy perennials with noticeably fleshy, blue-grey foliage, often with a misty bloom to it and, in some of the best, deeply flushed in purple. The flat-topped flower clusters tend to open in late summer and autumn, and often change colour from bud to bloom to dried head. They are also among the most attractive flowers to butterflies and I’ve seen far more butterflies per square metre on sedums (or Hylotelephiums) than on any other plant. What’s more, the dead flower heads are often worth leaving on the plants – covered in frost on a chilly morning they look delightful. So, whether you call them sedum or
Hylotelephium, these late summer flowers are essential, and easy, autumn perennials.
Position Happiest in free-draining soil in full sun. Care Don’t over prepare or over feed as the resulting plants will tend to be soft, weak and floppy. Poor soil is best. In rich soil, cut back taller types by half in late May to encourage shorter, better branched and more self supporting growth although flowering will be slightly delayed. All are hardy across the whole country. Where to buy bethchatto.co.uk, 01206 822007; hardysplants.co.uk, 01256 896533; marchantshardyplants.co.uk, 01323 811737
PLANT DIRECTORY Find the perfect Hylotelephium (sedum) for your garden by using our plant finder at gardenersworld.com/plant-finder