Sedum spurium Fuldaglut - Stonecrop

Sedum spurium 'Fuldaglut' is a carpeting stonecrop that quickly forms a colourful ground cover. It bears bronze and purple tinted foliage and pink and red summer blooms. Growing in mats at ground level, the vegetation of this perennial hugs the terrain with a semi-evergreen mantle. Its long stems root easily in crevices and colonise rock gardens as well as dry soils that lack depth, always in full sun.

Sedum spurium (synonym Phedimus spurius) belongs to the Crassulaceae family. Its ancestor, the bastard stonecrop, is widespread in the rocky scree of the mountains of central and western Europe. The variety 'Fuldaglut' is a semi-stoloniferous plant with a carpeting habit, 10 to 12cm (4 to 5in) tall, with a spread of 60cm (24in). Its long stems bear small, oval, spatulate, fleshy, slightly tough leaves with toothed margins. This foliage persists in winter, depending on the climate. It is green in colour, with a reddish border. In autumn, under the effect of the cold, the leaves turn bronze to purple. Its charming and delicate flowering takes place in July-August. Its inflorescences are miniature corymbs and are made up of multiple pink-red star-shaped flowers, highly prized by insects. The flower buds and peduncles are bright red.

Stonecrops are proof that poor soil can grow beautiful specimens with subtle hues. If your soil is poor, rather dry, even stony, or even a little calcareous, you can nevertheless benefit from hardy perennials (they are resistant to temperatures below -15°C (5°F)), which do not require maintenance and promise to liven up the garden thanks to visits from butterflies. These succulents are easy to grow and have flowers and foliage in various shades that can be used to compose multiple displays, whether in beds, containers, or rockeries. You can still grow them if you have rich, moist, and heavy substrate. They will acclimatise without any worries if you take care to add gravel. They should not be subjected to excess humidity in winter, nor should they be covered with dead leaves (which can cause their deterioration).

This 'Fuldaglut' stonecrop brings colour to all sunny corners. Plant it along paths, at the edge of a patio, at the foot of a wall, or in pots that you can move as you wish. It combines easily with all rock garden plants, requires no maintenance, and colonises abandoned spaces. As such, it is suitable for green roofs. In a bed, it forms a luminous foreground that draws the eye to its neighbours. It can be placed under shrubs (facing south) to fill poor soils.