Looking for drought-resistant ground covers that can tolerate heat (and maybe also cold)? Well, some types of sedum are a good choice – and there are lots of “creeping” stonecrop varieties available to choose from.
So, what are the best groundcover sedum varieties? Some great ground cover sedum varieties for a drought-tolerant landscape include: Angelina Stonecrop, Biting Stonecrop, Chinese Sedum, Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop, Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop, Lemon Coral Stonecrop, Mountain Stonecrop, Sedum makinoi, SunSparkler Stonecrop, and White Stonecrop.
Some of these can tolerate severe cold (well below freezing), but some cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, so be sure to check the details below before you make a decision.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at 10 creeping stonecrop varieties that can be used as ground cover. You’ll get facts and information on care including soil pH and moisture, required sunlight, mature size, and propagation.
Let’s get started.
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Best Ground Cover Sedum (10 Creeping Stonecrop Varieties)
There are lots of sedum varieties that can act as ground cover – here is a list of 10 to start:
- Angelina Stonecrop
- Biting Stonecrop
- Chinese Sedum
- Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop
- Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop
- Lemon Coral Stonecrop
- Mountain Stonecrop
- Sedum makinoi
- SunSparkler Stonecrop
- White Stonecrop
Let’s begin with Angelina Stonecrop.
Angelina Stonecrop
Angelina Stonecrop (Sedum rupestre), also known as Rocky Stonecrop or Crooked Yellow Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, yellow flowers in summer.
Angelina Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Angelina Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Angelina Stonecrop can tolerate cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 5a (as cold as -20 degrees Fahrenheit or –29 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 4 to 6 inches, with a width of 1 to 2 feet.
You can propagate Angelina Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about Angelina Stonecrop from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find Angelina Stonecrop from American Meadows.
Biting Stonecrop
Biting Stonecrop (Sedum acre), also known as Gold-Moss or Moss Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, yellow flowers in summer.
Biting Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Biting Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Biting Stonecrop can tolerate severe cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3a (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or -40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 1 to 4 inches, with a width of 1 to 2 feet.
You can propagate Biting Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about Biting Stonecrop from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find Biting Stonecrop from NN Plant.
Chinese Sedum
Chinese Sedum (Sedum tetractinum) is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces small, star-shaped, white or pale pink flowers in summer.
Chinese Sedum needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Chinese Sedum prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Chinese Sedum can tolerate severe cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 inches, with a width of 1 foot.
You can propagate Chinese Sedum by division, leaf cuttings, root cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about Chinese Sedum from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find Chinese Sedum from Pixie’s Gardens.
Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop
Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop (Hylotelephium cauticola) is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces small, showy, star-shaped, pink or pale purple flowers in fall.
Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop can tolerate cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 2 to 4 inches, with a width of 8 to 12 inches.
You can propagate Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop by division, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can find Cliff-Dwelling Stonecrop from NN Plant.
Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop
Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop (Sedum morganianum), also known as Burro’s Tail, Horse’s Tail, or Lamb’s Tail Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small flowers in summer, with all different colors: yellow/gold, orange, red/burgundy, purple/lavender, pink, or white.
Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop cannot tolerate cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 10a (as cold as 30 degrees Fahrenheit or –1 degree Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 1 to 4 feet, with a width of 1 to 3 feet.
You can propagate Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, or stem cuttings.
You can find Donkey’s Tail Stonecrop from Mountain Crest Gardens.
Lemon Coral Stonecrop
Lemon Coral Stonecrop (Sedum mexicanum), also known as Mexican Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, gold or yellow flowers in late spring to summer.
Lemon Coral Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Lemon Coral Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Lemon Coral Stonecrop can tolerate somewhat cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 7a (as cold as 0 degrees Fahrenheit or –18 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 9 inches, with a width of 1 to 2 feet.
You can propagate Lemon Coral Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can find Lemon Coral Stonecrop from Mountain Crest Gardens.
Mountain Stonecrop
Mountain Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum), also known as Woodland Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, white flowers in spring.
Mountain Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Mountain Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade or even deep shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Mountain Stonecrop can tolerate sever cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3a (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or –40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 6 inches, with a width of 6 to 12 inches.
You can propagate Mountain Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, root cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about Mountain Stonecrop from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find Mountain Stonecrop from Growing Wild Nursery.
Sedum makinoi
Sedum makinoi, also known as Japanese Stonecrop, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, yellow flowers in summer.
Sedum makinoi needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
Sedum makinoi prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
Sedum makinoi can tolerate somewhat cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 6a (as cold as -10 degrees Fahrenheit or –23 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 2 to 4 inches, with a width of 4 to 12 inches.
You can propagate Sedum makinoi by division, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about Sedum makinoi from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find Sedum makinoi from Succulents Depot.
SunSparkler Stonecrop
SunSparkler Stonecrop is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, showy, star-shaped flowers in summer or fall, with colors pink, purple/lavender, red/burgundy, or white.
SunSparkler Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
SunSparkler Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
SunSparkler Stonecrop can tolerate intense cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 4a (as cold as -30 degrees Fahrenheit or –34 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches, with a width of 12 to 18 inches.
You can propagate SunSparkler Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, or by seed.
You can find SunSparkler Stonecrop from Succulents Depot.
White Stonecrop
White Stonecrop (Sedum album), also known as Hardy Baby Tears, is a drought tolerant perennial sedum that produces clusters of small, star-shaped, white flowers in spring or summer.
White Stonecrop needs well-draining soil with moderate to dry moisture levels. It is sensitive to over watering.
White Stonecrop prefers full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil (pH of 6.0 to 8.0 or higher).
White Stonecrop can tolerate extreme cold conditions. As an outdoor plant, it is hardy to Zone 3a (as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit or –40 degrees Celsius).
This plant grows to a height of 3 to 6 inches, with a width of 12 to 18 inches.
You can propagate White Stonecrop by division, leaf cuttings, or by seed.
You can learn more about White Stonecrop from the North Carolina State University Plant Toolbox.
You can find White Stonecrop from Succulents Depot.
Conclusion
Now you have a list of 10 creeping stonecrop varieties to use as ground cover if you want drought-tolerant sedum as part of your landscape. If you get cold winters, make sure to choose one that can tolerate your USDA Hardiness Zone!
You can find stonecrop varieties with all sorts of different colors here.
You can also find a list of 10 upright sedum varieties here.
If something is chewing on your stonecrop, you can find out what it might be here.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
You can learn more about stonecrop care requirements in these articles:
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~Jonathon