Sedum spathulifolium Purpureum - Stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum', or purple spoon-leaved stonecrop, is a small perennial succulent plant with flattened leaves arranged in a rosette, which take on a lovely purple hue visible under the white bloom that covers them. It produces bright yellow flowers in summer. This plant is ideal in dry conditions, in rockeries or to cover walls.

Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum' belongs to the Crassulaceae family. This plant is native to the west coast of the United States, particularly the series of mountains called the 'Pacific coastal ranges', from California, Oregon, and British Columbia.

'Purpureum' forms dense cushions, 10cm (4in) in height. Compact, it spreads through underground suckers and colonises the soil until it reaches 50cm (20in) in width.

It produces small, evergreen, succulent leaves arranged in a rosette. They are grey-green infused with purple. The purple colour intensifies with heat and drought at the end of the season. In May-June, its bright yellow flowers, arranged in flat clusters, emerge from the foliage on short stems.

Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum' loves sun, and well-draining and poor soils. Very hardy, it can tolerate -15°C (5°F) without any problems, as long as the soil is not too wet in winter, as this can promote root rot. In case of doubt, a simple and effective technique is to install a translucent plate above the stump during humid winters, so that the plant is out of water until March.

Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum', like all stonecrops, is a blessing for gardens where the soil lacks thickness. It is magnificent in rockeries, ideal as ground cover, or planted in the gaps between wall stones. It also grows very well in troughs or pots. For rockeries, plant it with grasses or grey-foliaged plants that tolerate the same growing conditions.