Sewerage

Stonecrop - a plant of many species for planting in the country. Stonecrop flower and its features: varieties, care and photo Sedum hybrid

Cultivation of stonecrop (sedum) helps to form a unique landscape of the park, garden and decorate the local area. Perennial, ornamental plants are spread over the surface of the site with a multi-colored carpet.

Is it difficult to cultivate sedums, are there poisonous varieties among them, and what kind of care is required.

Stonecrop is a succulent plant from the Tolstyankov family. It grows wild in American, Eurasian and North African natural landscapes.

The name sedum comes from the Latin - to pacify, soothe, and also sit; in Ukrainian - cleansing (to clean).

Stonecrops are known by other names:

Hare grass (cabbage);
Skripun;
young;
fat woman;
Fever Grass;
Sedum;
Hernia grass;
Living grass.

Description

Sedums differ in appearance: ground cover (10-30 centimeters), tall bushy (up to 80 centimeters). The leaves of the grass are rounded, fleshy, without veins.

The thickened stems of the fat woman contain leaves on them, and end with an inflorescence at the top. Shoots of a tuberous shape with roots sit firmly in the soil.

Stonecrops eventually conquer new areas of the site, forming a continuous cover. Bush forms are also able to grow.

There are poisonous varieties of stonecrop, some emit toxic substances into the air, adversely affecting surrounding plants.

Types of stonecrops - what are there

The diversity is great, hundreds of tropical and cold-resistant species are known. The most decorative of them are grown culturally, separated into separate genera (Ochitnik, Zhivuchnik, Petrosedum) and varieties.

ground covers

These are creeping species that cover the soil, ranging in height from a few to 30 centimeters. Spread on the ground, the bushes create the illusion of dense coverage, which makes them seem undersized.

Used to decorate alpine slides, rockeries, borders, roofs and walls. Planted in containers (including hanging ones).

Purple flowers of different intensity, 0.5 centimeters in diameter strewn with bluish, bluish leaves. The leaves have red patches. The length of the stems is 8-10 centimeters. The varieties are frost-resistant, demanding on light, moisture and looseness of the soil. Flowering: August-September. Example varieties: Rosenteppich and Rose Carpet.

Creeping stems, up to 25 centimeters long. It blooms with multicolored flowers in October. It is grown in containers, on alpine slides, rockeries. Used to create topiaries. Dragon, Mediovariegatum - the most common varieties.

Easily rooted stems spread out and reach a length of 15-20 centimeters. Flowers 0.7 centimeters in diameter, varying intensity of pink and red, appear in July-August. The bluish-gray leaves are decorative. Demanding on the composition of the soil (does not like alkalization), needs constant weeding and light watering.

The variety Variegatum is widespread. The shoots do not quite lie down, the rhizome becomes woody. Stems 15-25 centimeters have yellow flowers with stamens during the flowering period (July-September), then scarlet fruits appear. Loves watering, partial shade.

A rug 10 centimeters thick has flower stalks up to 30 centimeters high. The leaves are green, bluish, then turn red. Flowers yellow, pink. It grows rapidly and captures the area. Beautiful in containers. Watering is regular. Purpureum, Elegance are well-known varieties.

Beautiful, very decorative. Bushes up to 5 centimeters high, flower stalk 10 centimeters. Green leaves turn red in the sun, flowers are yellow, pink. This is a winter-hardy variety, unpretentious to the soil, does not like excessive watering. Roofs are greened for them, planted in rockeries, and topiaries are decorated.

Loves the sun, light and partial shade, blooms in July-August. A plant 15 centimeters high forms covers on the soil. Decorate flower beds, mixborders, spacious containers. The leaves are green, becoming bronze, red by autumn. Flowers in different shades of pink, burgundy, red and white. Only some varieties: Elizabeth, Tricolor, Album, Leningrad White and others.

The coating is dense, continuous height 5-10 centimeters, poisonous. Green leaves, yellow flowers. Flowering June-July. Undemanding to the conditions of detention. It tolerates winter and drought well. It is easy to weed out and grows very fast. Sedum caustic is a honey plant, Minus, Elegance varieties are interesting.

Bushes up to 40 centimeters, bluish-green leaves with pink inflorescences. It grows quickly, winter-hardy, unpretentious. Suitable for growing in rockeries, rock gardens.

Rare variety. Cover 4-5 centimeters. Green leaves turn red in the sun, creeping shoots have white flowers. Does not like drought, grows in partial shade. This evergreen will decorate borders and rockeries.

shrubby

This is a tall type of stonecrop. Such a sedum is unpretentious in cultivation: it grows on soil poor in humus, on rocky areas. High varieties of stonecrops need more watering than creeping ones, because their root system is not covered with a continuous carpet of vegetation.

They bloom from summer to autumn, for many years in one place, they are more popular among gardeners than undersized counterparts.

Forms a bush 40-70 centimeters. The leaves are green, may be purple with a bluish tinge. Flowers white, white-pink, to deep purple. Blooms in August, until October, requires moderate watering. Produces aerial shoots, which are removed. This variety is grown in a spacious container, mixborders, single flower beds. Varieties - Iceberg, Carmen, Crystal Pink, Stephen Ward.

The bush is tall, up to 80 centimeters with pink or purple flowers. The leaves are green, oval. July and August are the flowering months. Rabbit cabbage is grown in mixborder groups, suitable for growing in a container. Bon-Bon, Red Globe, Trafl - varieties of stonecrop.

The shrub reaches a height of 50 centimeters. Blooms all summer. Likes shading, prefers poor soils, unpretentious appearance. Watering is moderate, regular.

This sedum grows up to 60 centimeters in height. Leaves are greenish-gray. Flowers of different colors: white, pinkish, pink. Late flowering in September-October. Sunny places are preferred along with partial shade. Watering is moderate.

How to care

Stonecrops are undemanding to growing conditions, they grow easily, turning the allotted area into a green meadow. Earth prefers loose, fertile, sandy, acidic.

It grows best in bright areas, does not bloom in the shade. Accumulates moisture and does not tolerate drought.

Landing in open ground, watering and weeding

Seedlings are planted at the end of May, June, after return frosts (all summer). It is good to add ash and sand to the soil. The site is chosen open, not under the trees. Holes are dug at a distance of 20 centimeters. Sedum will bloom in a year or two.

Stonecrops need periodic watering and weeding, they are oppressed from the neighborhood with weeds.

top dressing

Feed with diluted mullein or complex fertilizer. Do not apply fresh manure.

pruning

Bushes are formed at varietal stonecrops: green shoots are removed on multi-colored varieties so that the breed does not degenerate. Overgrown stems, dry inflorescences are also cut off, giving a compact planting.

stonecrop in winter

In regions where snow is plentiful, stonecrop is not covered for the winter. Preparation for wintering includes pruning almost all shoots. The remaining stems are sprinkled with earth. Cut shoots can be rooted, kept at home and planted in the spring in the soil.

Transplantation and rejuvenation

Sedum thickets are aging and need to be transplanted and rejuvenated. In spring or autumn, old branches are removed, young plantings are divided into parts and transplanted to another place. It is enough to carry out such a procedure once every 3-4 years.

How stonecrop reproduces

Reproduction is carried out in several ways: seedlings from seeds, cuttings and division of bushes.

Seedling from seed

In April, you can sow stonecrop seeds in seedlings. Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil (earth and sand), sprinkled with coarse sand and, moistened, covered with glass or film.

Seedlings are grown in a cool place. From time to time, ventilate and spray the seedlings with a spray bottle. After 2 weeks, the containers are moved to a warmer place. Shoots appear within a month. After the appearance of two leaves, dive.

Before landing on the street, they are hardened for a week, taking out for a certain time.

Reproduction by cuttings

Before and after the flowering of sedum, you can cut and plant a plant. This is a simple procedure, despite the fact that stonecrops take root well. Cut off part of the stem, deepen it into the soil or place it in water (until the roots appear). When the roots appear, they are planted in a permanent place.

The division of the bush

Produced in the spring by digging and dividing the roots. On each part, the presence of kidneys must be checked. Treat the cut with a fungicide and allow to dry. After a couple of hours they put it in place.

Pests and diseases

Rarely affected by diseases, it can rot from high humidity. Sore spots are cut off, the remaining shoots are disinfected. Pests that sometimes attack stonecrop are aphids, weevils and thrips (they fight with the use of insecticides).

Succulent plants sedum (sédum lat.) belong to the Crassulaceae family. The habitat is very diverse: from Eurasia to the northern and southern parts of America. Contains species and varietal diversity.

In parallel, the name of the plant is widespread - stonecrop. Unpretentious in care, requires proper and constant care. Widely used in the world of landscape design, in various compositions.

About the plant

Refers to a perennial herbaceous plant. However, it rarely happens to be two years old. Forms whole stems with leaves that tend to accumulate water. Stem height ranges from 40 to 70 cm, depending on the type. In this case, the stems are: upright, creeping and turf-forming. Contains small actinomorphic flowers resembling the shape of an asterisk.

The bright palette of flowers is diverse in the main colors: red, white, pink, yellow. It has the following inflorescences: umbellate, corymbose and racemose. Flowering is happening in summer or autumn. Large tuberous root system. It mainly grows in meadows and dry slopes. It has good winter hardiness.

Historical reference! The Russian folk name for sedum is "feverish or hernia grass."

Sedum six-row (Sedum sexangulare)

Species and varieties

Initially, the stonecrop genus consisted of approximately 600 species. Over time, the number of the species decreased to 300. Currently, only about 100 species are bred and grown. Each type of stonecrop contains a large number of varieties that differ from the main species in the color of the stem, flowers and leaves. A photo of flowers clearly shows the uniqueness of each species.

Sedum species caustic (Sédum ácre)

Perennial plant species. It has a thin root system. Numerous ascending stems, with fleshy dark green leaves. The inflorescence contains golden-yellow flowers, with a calyx length of 2 to 5 mm. Flowering lasts from mid-spring to late summer. Drought tolerant and winter hardy.

Important! Sedum caustic is a honey plant, but its juice releases a dangerous poison.

The most popular varieties:

Sedum Morgana (Sedum morganianum)

A perennial plant native to Mexico. Due to the densely leafy light green leaves and branches, creeping up to 1.5 meters in length, the species received the second name "monkey's tail". Actinomorphic axillary flowers in the form of red-pink stars are located at the end of the stem, up to 2 cm in diameter. The beginning of flowering occurs in early spring.

The most common varieties of Morgan are:

Harry Butterfield (sedum Harry Butterfield): has spiky leaves that are lighter in color;
Burrito (sedum burrito): characterized by rounded leaves with a bluish tinge.

The bluish shade of the leaves of stonecrop Morgan "Burito"

Type of sedum bent or reflexum / sedum reflexum /

Evergreen perennial plant. Distributed in central and northern Europe, as well as in the central part of the Caucasus. Spreads low on the surface of the earth. Narrow bluish-green leaves are densely planted on short stems. They may also have a pink or silver tint. Flowering with yellow flowers lasts from June to July. Grows well in any temperature.

Fact! Sedum bent refers to an edible plant. The sour taste of stonecrop harmonizes perfectly in salads, and in many dishes.

Type of sedum false (sedum spurium)

Perennial undersized plants with creeping and ascending stems. They grow in southwestern Asia. In the Russian Federation - on the territory of the Caucasus. The oval-shaped middle leaves contain serrated edges. Small purple flowers are collected in dense inflorescences. As a result, the species has a different name - purple carpet. They are winter hardy.

Sedum false has the main varieties:

Species sedum prominent (sedum spectabile)

Stonecrop is native to East Asia, especially China. The tall species is characterized by an erect stem with light green leaves. The inflorescences contain small pink flowers. Flowering takes place in September.

Varieties of sedum prominent:

Sedum Carl (sedum Carl): contains bluish leaves; umbellate inflorescences of purple-carmine or pinkish-lilac flowers;
Matron (sedum matrona): has a dark green leaf color and light pink flowers;
Neon (sedum neon): contains grayish leaves and pink inflorescences.

Handsome Karl.

Majestic "Matrona".

Sparkling "Neon"

Sedum species Kamchatka (sedum kamtschaticum)

It is widely distributed in the Far East, on its rocky slopes. Refers to a perennial undersized species. Contains ascending stems with dark green leaves. In corymbose inflorescence yellow-orange flowers. Flowering - July - September. The root system has a lignified appearance. Handles winter well.

Of all the varieties of this species, the Golden Carpet variety (golden carpet) stands out the most: the second name is a yellow rose, because of the bright yellow flowers.

White sedum species (sedum album)

Perennial stonecrop is common in the north of our country. Forms a low creeping carpet of green stems and small leaves. The inflorescence is paniculate, contains fragrant snow-white flowers. Winter-hardy and grows well in partial shade.

Common varieties:

coral carpet (coral сarpet): or white moss, forms a creeping canvas from flowering flowers;
hillebrandti (hillebrandtii): flowers are orange in summer and pink in winter.

Landing

Correct and high-quality planting of stonecrop is based on phased actions. You should familiarize yourself in more detail not only with the planting process itself, but also with the choice of a seedling and a place.

Seedling selection

The seedling for planting must undergo a thorough inspection. You need to choose healthy plants. Seedlings with various damages, signs of diseases or the presence of pests are excluded. When examining the leaves, you need to make sure that there are no sluggish specimens. Attention should be paid to the soil, in which stagnant water and excessive moisture are not allowed. It is also necessary to decide on a variety for the composition, since varieties differ in leaf color, shoot length and flower color.

Advice! A low grade is suitable for a flower canvas, and a high grade is suitable for group and single planting.

Location selection

Sedum belongs to light-loving plants. It is necessary to choose an open sunny area with good soil, without stagnant moisture. The sun's rays have a beneficial effect on the decorativeness of the leaves. Plant parameters and leaf color are taken into account for a harmonious combination on the ground with other crops. Creeping and ground cover varieties feel great in rocky and rocky areas. Some varieties can grow in dark areas, however, their stems are significantly elongated.

Soil preparation

Unpretentious stonecrop grows well on various soils. However, for full development and lush flowering, all types of plants require a special composition. All this should be taken into account when choosing a site. Fast-growing ground cover varieties need light, loose soil rich in nutrients. Other varieties prefer loamy, sandy, or lime-rich soil. Before planting, in any case, it is worth digging up the site, adding a small amount of compost or humus to the soil.

Landing technology

Sedum is planted after a period of spring frosts. May is the perfect time for planting. The spacing between plants should be not less than 20-25 cm.

Landing includes the following sequence:

dig a hole up to 20 cm deep, with a diameter of up to 50 cm;
mix sand with humus, in a ratio of 3: 1;
distribute drainage at the bottom of the pit in one layer;
fill the pit with the prepared composition;
make a small depression in the middle of the pit, to the depth of the root system of the seedling;
carefully insert the seedling into the recess;
sprinkle with soil, gently pressing down with your hands;
mark the hole by laying small stones around the plant;
put fine gravel or crushed stone in the hole;
water the seedling.

Attention! Planting a plant in a dark place can lead to depletion of the leaves and stem, and in the future it will stop flowering.

Care

Proper care is the key not only to the healthy appearance of the plant, but also to abundant flowering. Necessary components: watering, top dressing and - to a lesser extent - loosening.

Watering

Stonecrop does not like waterlogged soil. In the first period after planting, the plant needs regular moderate watering. This contributes to its rapid rooting and good adaptation. At a more mature age, watering is carried out during prolonged heat or drought. The reference point for dryness of the soil is an elementary test by hand, if the soil is so dry that it is cracked, then it is necessary to water it. If, when loosening, fresh, slightly damp soil is visible, it is too early to water.

loosening

Thanks to the process of loosening around the stonecrop, unnecessary weed plants are getting rid of, and the soil is enriched with oxygen. In addition to loosening, a mulching process is carried out, which keeps the soil loose and enriches it with nutrients. For plants, various mulches can be used.

top dressing

Special feeding for all types of stonecrop is not required. For the season, fertilization will be sufficient only twice: before flowering, and after it. A liquid organic fertilizer is applied, using a small amount of nitrogen, until flowers form. At the end of flowering, complex fertilizer is used.

Advice! Fading stonecrops in the fall should be cut off the shoots. This contributes to the renewal and rejuvenation of plants.

Growing from seeds at home

Propagation by seeds is easy and simple. It is enough to thoroughly prepare for this process. Seeds are planted for seedlings from the beginning of March to the end of April. Before planting, they first undergo stratification and preparation for transplanting seedlings as follows:

Seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil in a small container, and moistened.
They are covered with a plastic bag and placed in the lower section of the refrigerator, at a temperature of 0 to 5 degrees Celsius.
After two weeks, they are transferred to room conditions.
In the future, subject to the temperature - 18-20 degrees, and with moderate soil moisture, the first shoots appear in a month.
When reaching 1-2 true leaves, it is necessary to dive the seedlings into pots.

The soil for plant pots should be prepared in advance, which should include the following components: sand, peat, rotten leaves and turf in equal proportions. For a better soil structure, it is added brick chips. At the bottom of the pot, a drainage layer is first laid out, and then the prepared mixture. Then the soil must be loosened and watered evenly. A stonecrop seedling is planted in a recess in the middle of the pot, sprinkled with soil and watered.

The first days after planting, the seedlings are in a dark place. With an increase in plant growth, they are moved to a more sunny place. Caring for a plant in a room requires regular ventilation and uniform watering. Stonecrop grows very well at home, and takes root quickly.

Application in landscape design

The decorativeness of each variety and the uniqueness of the leaf palette allow you to create beautiful compositions in landscape design.

Sedum (lat. Sedum) or stonecrop is a numerous genus of amazingly unpretentious plants from the Crassulaceae family (lat. Crassulaceae). Most of them grow in arid and mountainous regions of the Northern Hemisphere of the earth.

There are several options for the origin of the name "sedum". One of them is from the Latin "sedere", which means "to sit" in translation. In fact, leaves that do not have petioles sit on stems. And the plant seems to "sit" on the stones. According to another version, from the Latin "sedo", which means "calm". Perhaps because earlier the leaves of some types of sedums were used as an anesthetic. The people gave the plant other names - stonecrop, hare cabbage, young and many more.

The most common representative of sedums

Description

The genus Sedum includes approximately 600 species of perennial, very rarely annual or biennial, herbaceous plants, as well as undersized shrubs. It can be hanging hanging plants, and the so-called earthen rugs. The leaves are varied in shape, size and color, which often leads to confusion. They can be in the form of barrels and balls, spatulas and needles, pubescent and naked, from light green to dark green, as well as red and yellow colors. According to their location on the trunk, they are opposite, alternate, whorled. Their edges are entire or serrated. Retain their decorative appeal throughout the season.

But especially attractive are small flowers, often collected in apical cytic inflorescences, less often single axillary. The color of the flowers is predominantly yellow, pink, white, less often red, blue. The flowers are small, usually with 5 unfused petals.

Sedum caustic

Species most in demand in floriculture

When compiling flower arrangements, the height of the plants is important. Based on this sign, varieties of stonecrops can be divided into short, medium and tall.

The undersized ones are:

C. caustic(lat. Sedum acre) - a ground cover plant, not higher than 10 cm, with tiny diamond-shaped green leaves. It blooms with small stars of a juicy yellow color. Hardy look, unpretentious care. Leaves for the winter does not shed, does not need shelter. It blooms in early June and blooms until August. It has fruits with small seeds. Its juice can cause skin burns.

C. white(lat. Sedum album) - up to 15 cm tall, with ovate elongated leaves that begin to turn red closer to autumn. So named because of the white fragrant flowers. Blooms in early June and blooms up to a month and a half. There are several garden varieties, the most popular are Murale, Coral Carpet.

C. hybrid(lat. Sedum hybridum) - has creeping dark green shoots up to 10 - 12 cm in length. The leaves are serrated, much thinner than other species. Small bright yellow flowers. Frost resistant. Blooms in July and August.

Sedum Kamchatka

The medium ones are:

Difficult(lat. Sedum spurium) is one of the most popular species. The ground cover plant creates a dense mat up to 20 cm high. The leaves are fleshy, sessile, opposite, dark green, sometimes with a reddish tinge. Flowers pinkish-red. It blooms from 1.5 to 2 months, starting in May. Winters well. It spreads very quickly, occupying free territories.

S. kamchatsky(lat. Sedum kamtschaticum) - a plant with few, mostly straight shoots up to 30 cm. The leaves are elongated up to 4 cm, dark green, serrated at the top and obtuse at the base. Blooms in June. Flowers are orange-yellow. Fruiting.

Sedum telephium

The tall ones are:

C. tenacious(lat. Sedum aizoon) - thin shoots with a red tint form lush sprawling bushes up to 40 - 50 cm high. The leaves are narrowed, light green, serrated at the edges. Flowers pale orange. Blooms throughout the summer. Fruiting.

S. prominent(lat. Sedum spectabile) - a plant with erect stems and thickened tuberous roots up to 40 - 50 cm high. Large oval-shaped sessile leaves with denticles along the edges. Blooms in early autumn. The flowers have shades of pink and lilac, as well as purple, collected in large inflorescences.

C. telephium(lat. Sedum telephium) has vertical shoots 40 - 50 cm tall with alternately arranged fleshy leaves. The flowers are pink, light yellow, dirty red, collected in inflorescences. Sufficiently late flowering - in early autumn. Frost resistant. Popularly known as "hare cabbage".

Photogallery of species

Cultivation and care

Location. Most sedums prefer to grow in sunny areas, with some species also suitable for light partial shade. A rare exception is the shoot-bearing sedum, which does not tolerate direct sunlight and grows exclusively in the shade.

The soil. All sedums are unpretentious to varying degrees when growing and caring for them. Some species grow well on poor stony soils, on mountainous and sandy slopes, for example, stonecrop can grow well in crevices.

There are species that claim more fertile soils, for example, stonecrop grows faster in pine undergrowth. Some ground cover sedums like loamy soils, for example, false stonecrop.

Please note! It is undesirable to apply mineral fertilizers to the soil, since in most stonecrops the decorative effect of the leaves is lost.

Stonecrops on stones

Watering. Sedums are drought tolerant plants. For some species, watering is completely harmful. And some, for example, stonecrop bent, are very demanding on moisture. But none of the species tolerate stagnant water, so you need to water rarely and mainly during the dry season.

Weeding. Stonecrop needs careful and constant weeding, as weeds simply clog many types of stonecrops, and they die. But there is always an exception, the stonecrop is caustic, which releases substances that are poisonous to other plants.

Planting sedums is recommended to be located close to each other. In this case, you do not have to wait long for a lush rug. After flowering, flower stalks are best removed, because they spoil the appearance and inhibit further flowering. In tall stonecrops, usually dead shoots are cut off for the winter, slightly above the soil.

stonecrop bent

reproduction

Stonecrops are propagated in various ways:

seeds. Growing sedum from seeds is a way for the especially patient. Seed germination is small, and seedlings are very capricious. Sow in spring or autumn in shallow boxes. For faster germination, it is better to place in a greenhouse. After the appearance of three leaves, they dive into a shallow dish or immediately into the soil. Blossoms by 2 - 3 years. With this method of reproduction, varietal characteristics are not preserved.

cuttings. Propagation of sedum by cuttings is the most convenient and fastest way, although it requires special preparation of the site. It must be leveled, thoroughly weeded, down to the smallest weeds and lightly compacted the soil. Then they make, for example, a hole with a stick, insert the prepared stalk (with the leaves removed at the bottom), lightly settle the soil around it. Needs to be watered and slightly shaded. You can root cuttings in pallets by placing them in a greenhouse. And then, together with a clod of earth, move it to open ground.

Rooted cuttings of sedum

By dividing the bush, tall species of stonecrops can be propagated. In early spring, it is necessary to dig up a bush and divide it into three or four parts, so that each has both a part of the rhizome and buds that will give new shoots. After separation, these parts are dried in a cool place, excluding the sun's rays, and only then planted in the ground.

Diseases and pests

Stonecrops are very rarely exposed to disease. Their rhizomes may rot if the plant has been flooded with water. This can happen in spring with floods or in autumn with heavy rains and relatively low temperatures. With improper care of stonecrops, stems can stretch, dry or rot leaves.

Of the pests, mealybugs are dangerous. The plant must be treated with an insecticide. Nematodes are also very dangerous.

Spanish sedum and false variegated sedum

Use in landscape design

Undersized species of sedums are great for alpine slides in the form of rugs on and between stones. They fit well in rockeries, as well as rose gardens, as a small green island between rose bushes.

Along the fences, you can create flower beds from stonecrops of different heights, starting with ground cover and gradually moving to tall ones. They can be placed alternating depending on the color of the leaves and the time of flowering.

Sedums look very attractive in late autumn. They are one of the few who retain their greenery until winter, and some throughout the winter.

Application in medicine

Stonecrop purple contains many useful substances, such as tannins, calcium salts, and some organic acids. For medical purposes, ground parts are harvested and used. The gruel from the leaves is used for purulent wounds and burns. Tinctures are prepared for the treatment of wounds and ulcers.

Stonecrop is an interesting ornamental plant that has a huge number of species and varieties (more than 500) that look great in landscape design. There are also names - Sedum, Feverish or Hernia grass. Translated from Latin, sedum means "to subside." This name was due to the fact that earlier some types of stonecrop were used for medical purposes as an analgesic. If a leaf cut lengthwise is applied to a wound, it will reduce inflammation and speed up healing. It also helps with burns.

The second interpretation of the translation is from the word “sit”, since this plant is capable of densely attaching to any stones, as if sitting on them.

stonecrop prefers temperate climate and mountainous regions, therefore, it is most common in Europe, East Asia, Mexico and North America.

These are perennial undersized shrubs, sometimes annuals, related to succulents (they have tissues that can accumulate water), which allows them to tolerate arid climate well, and also feel free on stones. They have long shoots and leaves, various in shape - from flat to rounded, of different sizes and shades. Flowers usually gather in inflorescences in the form of an umbrella, but there are also single varieties of white, yellow and pink color, blue and red are less common. These plants are best cross-pollinated.

There are varieties with the most different requirements and characteristics- there are quite winter-hardy, calmly enduring cold in the open field, but there are incapable of it. The latter are good to grow as indoor plants, they look great in hanging flowerpots. The only thing is that stonecrop rarely blooms in apartments due to lack of sunlight and too high room temperature in winter.

Peculiarities

To grow stonecrop, planting and caring for them must be correct. Growing it is quite simple, but it has its own certain requirements To:

location,
lighting,
soil,
top dressing.

Sedums are very photophilous, only some varieties can tolerate a diffused shadow without problems. With active sunlight, they seem to sunbathe - the leaves become brighter and more juicy in color. But if the sun is not enough, the stonecrop stops blooming, begins to stretch strongly and ugly upwards. But there are several varieties that are hard to tolerate the open sun - for example, stonecrop shoots.

These plants are quite easily tolerate drought and can grow without a transplant for up to five years. The main thing - do not plant in places where in the fall they threaten to be covered with leaves, as they are not able to break through this layer in the spring.

Stonecrops are usually quite loyal to the soil, they can grow and develop well on any soil, only slightly fertilized with compost or humus.

Many species live in the mountains and settle on stones and in rock crevices, where they feel great, as they have the ability to accumulate moisture. There are varieties that take root even on sandy slopes and screes.

Readings should be done regularly feed with organic and mineral liquid fertilizers(react well to manure and nitrogen), but in small quantities, since oversaturation can lead to a decrease in their resistance to cold.

stonecrop care

There are several varieties that perfectly tolerate cold in the middle lane (white, prominent, false, caustic and bent). The rest, for the most part, require shelter, and in the spring they need to be put in order to return a fresh and beautiful decorative look.

Once every 3-6 years, the bushes must be divided to maintain a well-groomed, even appearance. After five years, some varieties need to remove old shoots and add fresh soil. There are varieties, for example, thin-leaf and Siebold, for which it is better to cut the inflorescences if you want to maintain the decorative appearance of the plant.

Stonecrop care involves fairly frequent weeding, as they are highly susceptible to weeds and cannot fight them on their own. The exception is the caustic stonecrop, it is quite aggressive and copes with a similar problem by itself, as it releases special substances that destroy other plants. Gardeners use this feature for edging flower beds and decorative paths. But you should be careful that other cultivated plants do not suffer from it.

stonecrops drought tolerant, they should be watered only the first time after planting and in the case of a very dry summer. Under normal conditions, they independently accumulate water in themselves due to periodic rains.

Hybrid varietal stonecrops with unusual leaf color are more capricious than natural ones. So that they do not lose their unique color, it is necessary to remove the resulting green shoots.

Large varieties are pruned after the first frost, but dry stems can only be removed in spring. Dried stonecrop inflorescences look good in a snowy garden.

reproduction

Stonecrops can breed in several ways:

By division.
cuttings.
Seeds.

seeds. Sowing begins in autumn or spring in boxes, which are then placed in a greenhouse or dug into a garden bed. Seedling seedlings are quite small, after the appearance of a couple of leaves they are transferred to the beds. Stonecrops grown from seeds begin to bloom only in the second, sometimes even third, year.

Stonecrops are cross-pollinated, so seedlings often do not retain species characteristics, being very diverse. When several varieties and even species are grown together, natural hybridization is obtained, which sometimes leads to unexpected results. Many unusual known varieties of stonecrop were bred in this way by random selection.

Division. Large varieties can be propagated by dividing the rhizomes. To do this, the bush is dug up in early spring and cut into several parts, so that each has a root and buds, from which young shoots will subsequently appear. Sections must be treated with fungicides to protect the plant from possible diseases and fungi. Before making delenok in open ground, they need to be dried in a cool place.

Cutting stonecrop

It is considered the most reliable, easiest and fastest way of reproduction. Even the smallest shoots and their segments (sometimes accidentally dropped into the garden during division or transplantation) can give roots and grow into a full-fledged bush.

Before cutting you need to choose a bed and it is good to clean it even from the smallest weeds. After that, the soil is leveled and slightly compacted. Prepared cut cuttings are simply scattered or laid out on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth with the addition of sand and slightly trampled on top. Do not forget to water the plantings and repeat this procedure as the soil dries. If the weather is too hot, it is advisable to arrange a shade for the cuttings.

They can also be planted in small pots with peat and taken out to the greenhouse. Planted in open ground no earlier than two weeks later. Seedlings grown in this way have good stress resistance.

Exists winter cutting method, usually used to propagate stonecrop, popular in landscape design for landscaping. This method brings much more planting material.

At the end of flowering, but before the first frosts, the strongest flower shoots are cut off from stonecrops and laid out in a dry room. After a while, instead of fallen leaves, shoots with aerial roots appear on the cuttings. Upon reaching five centimeters, they need to be broken off and rooted in a box at room temperature. Do not forget about the light, because of its lack of shoots will begin to stretch, and if the temperature is too low and excess moisture can begin to rot. Such seedlings are planted in open ground in May and by autumn it begins to bloom.

Varieties and types of stonecrop (photo)

stonecrop has a large number of varieties and varieties of various shapes, sizes and shades. They look great not only in the photo, but also in life. You can list and describe the species for a long time, so we will mention only a few of the most famous.

According to preferences for location, they can be conditionally divided into:

Loving poor, stony and sandy soils. They usually overgrow with carpets.
Preferring rich nutrient soils. These are tall plants that form rich thickets and bloom profusely.

Beautiful bushes of the stonecrop plant

First group

Sedum (sedum) white. The name is due to the fluffy white flowers on short stems, gathering in panicle inflorescences. It is a perennial carpet creeping plant, reaching a maximum of 5 cm in height. It tolerates both light and partial shade, lives without problems on poor soils, where it shows its typical color. The plant is unpretentious, tolerates cold winters well.

Most popular and common garden varieties:

Atoum - has the shape of a half-step, in the summer sun it turns red.
Faro Form - a low variety with very small leaves, it turns red in the sun, and then turns brown.
Coral Carpet - a bush with a reddish leafy cover, grows no more than 5 cm.
‘Hillebrandti’ is a large compared to others, green plant that turns orange-red in summer.

. Under natural conditions, it grows on rocks and in the steppes. The plant is perennial, forms rugs up to 15 cm high with numerous branching green stems. The leaves are green and bloom from mid to late summer. It tolerates winter and drought well, grows rather slowly. The most popular variety of this species can be called Immergrünchen - a green plant with light yellow flowers.

stonecrop. Perennial, with rounded branched stems. The leaves are dark green, do not shed for the winter (evergreen), the flowers are golden in color. It has many different shapes and sizes. Unpretentious and cold-resistant, independently fights weeds.

This variety is very beautiful during flowering (look at the photo), when its dark, slightly rising stems create a contrast with yellow flowers. It goes well with other cultivated plants. Can grow in full sun or partial shade.

It has many different forms and varieties, the most popular are:

Weihenstephaner Gold - blooms very luxuriantly, but with small yellow-green flowers.
Kamchatka variegated - leaves with a creamy edging, slightly turning pink in strong sun, can produce up to three flowers, grows slowly.
Golden Carpet - yellow flowers, bright green leaves.

Second group

Sedum prominent. Perennial plant with straight stems and large leaves. It blooms from the beginning of autumn with pink-lilac flowers. Grows well in a sunny location in fertile, moist soil. Popular varieties: Iceberg, Neon, Brilliant, Standard.

Everest stonecrop. Prefers to grow on rocks and sands. Perennial plant with thin roots and gray leaves. Flowers are red and purple, flowering begins in mid-summer. It tolerates winter well, but prefers sunny places, grows slowly.

Stonecrop is a very interesting ornamental plant that works great in landscape design. There is a huge number of photos of its various varieties and species located around the world and in different conditions. Stonecrop will be a great decoration for any garden.

Sedum, or stonecrop, is not striking in its catchy beauty, but nevertheless, many flower growers fell in love with it. Various varieties of sedum are successfully used in landscape design: after all, the modest charm of these plants (this photo conveys well) will decorate the flower arrangements of the garden. Although this perennial plant is quite unpretentious, it still requires proper care. This article describes in detail all the secrets of planting and growing sedum in the open field.

Sedum: description and varieties

Sedum, or stonecrop, belongs to the genus of succulents, the Crassulaceae family. Sedum is a herbaceous plant, although most species of stonecrop are perennial, but there are one- and two-year-olds. The sedum has settled all over the planet, choosing places with a temperate climate and bright sun for life, but it is more widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere.

Sedum is beautiful with its leaves even when it does not bloom

About 500 varieties of sedum are known, which in appearance may be completely different from each other. Most species of sedum are undersized, creeping and sod-forming, shrubs or semi-shrubs are less common. The shades of flowers are very different: white, yellow, greenish, pink, dark red and even blue.

The most common varieties of stonecrops used in landscape design:

Sedum prominent- a bush with high straight stems (up to 60 cm high), with light green thick leaves. Stonecrop blooms prominent in September, and for the duration of the month its flowers, combined in baskets of inflorescences, delight the eye with a beautiful pink hue.
Sedum prominent
Sedum telephium- perennial shrub, with unusually beautiful leaves of dark purple color. Flowers of red or bright pink color are collected in spectacular thyroid inflorescences.
Sedum telephium
Sedum compact- a perennial plant, characterized by strong stems with gray-green leaves of an oblong ovoid shape. The flowers of this species are white, with a rich aroma.
Sedum compact
Sedum false- perennial plant is very popular among flower growers, due to the fact that its branches form a beautiful covering that serves to decorate carpet beds.
Sedum false
Sedum caustic- frost-resistant perennial plant. Thickets of sedum caustic form a soddy carpet on the soil, which covers the ground all year round - this type of sedum does not lose leaves in autumn. Stonecrop comes in many varieties, which vary in shape and size, but they all have flowers of a consistently bright, poisonous yellow color.
Sedum caustic
Sedum recurved(bending back) - a very unusual plant with thick curved stems dotted with terete densely arranged needle-like leaves. The plant resembles many outlandish hairy caterpillars gathered together. And these cute caterpillars form very picturesque rugs of green shades, about 20 cm high.
Sedum recurved

Planting sedum (stonecrop) in the open field

Sedum is an unpretentious plant, so growing it in the open field is not too troublesome. For planting most varieties of plants, you should choose places well-lit by the sun.

Attention! If you plant a light-loving plant in a shady place, then it will lose its attractiveness, the leaves will lose their healthy freshness and fleshiness, the stems will stretch and deplete, and the plant will not bloom.

Stonecrop is suitable for light soil with good drainage, without stagnant moisture. If the garden plot has heavy soil, with poor water permeability, then it is necessary to prepare a special place in the open field for planting sedum.

The first thing a sedum needs is enough sunlight.

For this you need:

prepare the soil: take sand and humus in a ratio of 3: 1 and mix well;
dig a hole in the ground with a depth of 20 cm, the diameter of which should be approximately 50 cm;
fill the hole with the prepared mixture;
plant plants;
sprinkle the soil around the seedling with fine gravel or gravel.

If everything is done correctly, then the sedum will grow and bloom well. The best time for planting sedum is from the second decade of May to mid-October.

Place fine gravel around the sedum

Reproduction stonecrop

You can plant sedum in any of three ways of reproduction: seeds, cuttings or dividing the bush.

Reproduction by seeds

The seed method can be used in two ways. Just sow the seeds in the soil at the place of "permanent residence", in previously prepared soil. The best time for sowing seeds: late April - early May.

Advice! Seeds do not need to be planted very deep into the ground, as the seedlings are very tender and will not be able to break through a thick ball of earth. It is better to sow them on top of the soil and cover them with a thin layer of sand.

The second method is to plant seedlings in a flower garden. To do this, fill the flower box with a mixture of earth, sand and humus (1:1:2), water lightly, sow the seeds (as mentioned above) and cover with glass or film. When the shoots that have appeared have already grown up, they can be transplanted into open ground.

sedum seeds

Important! You need to know that sedum grown from seed does not bloom in the first summer.

Propagation by cuttings

To get a cutting suitable for planting, any stem of an adult stonecrop will do. It is necessary to cut off part of the stem and plant it in a pre-prepared place, deepening it into the ground by 3 cm.

Reproduction by dividing the bush

Every 5 years, stonecrop needs to be transplanted to a new place. It is better to do this in the spring. The plant should be dug up, and the overgrown bush should be divided into 3-4 bushes. Faults must be treated with powdered activated carbon. Dry the bushes for a couple of hours in a dark place and you can plant.

Culture painlessly reproduces by dividing the bush

Care and fertilizer

Although stonecrop is not a capricious plant, nevertheless, it needs care. Young shoots definitely need watering as the earth dries out, but it should be remembered that excess moisture is harmful to them. An adult plant, if the summer is not particularly hot, does not need frequent watering. It is necessary to ensure that there are no weeds around the stonecrop - he does not like such a neighborhood.

Advice! In autumn, after flowering stops, the stonecrop should be cut off - all shoots should be removed. This contributes to the renewal and rejuvenation of the plant. During the rest period, if necessary, you need to cover the plant so that it does not freeze.

Stonecrop twice a season should be fed with fertilizers: before flowering and when the plant has faded. For top dressing, you can buy special mineral and organic fertilizers. An aqueous solution of manure with nitrogen is especially useful for stonecrop. But do not overfeed the plant too much - this lowers its resistance to the negative effects of weather conditions.

Do not flood the plant, otherwise its roots may rot

Pests and diseases

Although sedum does not suffer too much from diseases and pests, there are those that pose a danger to it.

Sedum in landscape design and combination with other plants

Sedum is very decorative, and each variety is interesting in its own way. It is used by gardeners in landscape design to create beautiful compositions. But usually it is planted in combination with other plants to decorate flower beds, rockeries or alpine slides.

Sedum in landscape design

As a solitary plant, sedum is best planted in groups - so they look very picturesque. For example: ground cover sedums look gorgeous in separate clearings, where they form large lush carpets.

The borders of flower beds and paths lined with "creeping" stonecrop look very impressive. Stonecrops planted in pots look pretty nice - they can decorate a terrace or stairs or use them as a decorative element of landscape design.