Sedum spectabile Orange Xenox - Autumn Stonecrop

Sedum 'Orange Xenox' is a recent variety of autumn stonecrop, which will seduce you with its compact and bushy habit that holds excellently, as well as with the magnificent colours of its dark purple-grey foliage, topped with barely rounded, pinkish-purple inflorescences tinged with orange, animated by a constant ballet of butterflies. The whole plant, somewhat nostalgic but full of resources, harmonises perfectly with the somewhat languid atmosphere that characterises our late season. This undemanding variety is a carefree plant, adapted to mediocre soils.

Sedums belong to the Crassulaceae family. 'Orange Xenox', obtained in 2012 in the Netherlands, is one of the many cultivars derived from Sedum spectabile, native to China and Korea. It forms compact, upright tufts, reaching 40 to 45 cm (16 to 18 in) in height and spreading over 30 cm (12 in), with fairly slow growth. Flowering occurs as early as September and continues until the first frost. The inflorescences, in flat and dense terminal cymes, reach 12 cm (5 in) in diameter. The tiny flowers begin as salmon-pink buds, then bloom in pinkish-purple and finally in orange. Intensely nectariferous and honey-producing, they attract many butterflies and bees. The robust herbaceous stems, purple in colour, emerge from the basal foliage composed of leaves 6 cm (2 in) long and 4 cm (2 in) wide; it is fleshy, embossed, purple-grey to brown in colour, and as decorative as the flowering. The leaves are flat and ovate, toothed on the upper half. This completely deciduous plant disappears in late autumn and resurfaces from the ground in spring.

A godsend for gardens where the soil lacks thickness, Sedum spectabile is above all a drought-tolerant plant. Pair it with grasses such as Stipa, Muhlenbergia, Panicum, certain carex and other grey-leaved plants that often similarly tolerate these difficult growing conditions. You will create an unforgettable scene by associating it with autumn asters (Le Vasterival, Calliope, A. turbinellus) or Magellan fuchsias. Magnificent in its pot form, it is also an excellent flower for drying or for bouquets.