Plant of the week: Hylotelephium
These hardy succulents look as good in bud as they do in brilliant bloom
Most people know them as sedum, while botanical name-changers decreed the upright, larger-leaved varieties should be hylotelephium, but whatever you prefer to call them these deciduous, hardy perennials are some of the most durable and impressive late-summer performers.
They’ll endure hot, dry conditions and poor soils, producing steadily expanding mounds of shapely rounded, slightly toothed, succulent foliage that has architectural appeal. By midsummer clusters of buds appear which slowly expand, further adding to the drama until finally opening into flat heads of small, starry flowers in shades of red, pink and rustic tones, plus white which provides a welcome cool tone among late-summer colour.
Now laden with nectar, the flower heads are magnets for bees and butterflies, who frantically drink in all that’s placed on offer. Spent heads offer further use as decorative features in the autumn and winter garden.
There are two main species which have created the main roster of varieties, namely H. spectabile from China and Korea and the more widespread orpine, H. telephium from Asia, which has a number of distinct wild forms. These species were crossed to produce the hybrids ‘Autumn Joy’, also known as ‘Herbstfreude’, but others in the 30 or so species that make up the group were involved in creating the spate of hybrids.
Hylotelephium prefer moist, well-drained soil that’s not too rich, in full sun, but once established will endure dry conditions. Over-rich conditions will cause taller varieties to flop when in blossom. Their distinctive appearance makes them ideal for use in borders and gravel gardens, blending well with silvery foliage and other coloured low-growing and ground cover plants. They also look good in pots, especially those with strongly coloured or variegated foliage, and it doesn’t matter if your pots inadvertently dry out on occasion either.