Botanical Name: Sedum rupestre (Syn. Sedum reflexum)
Common Names: Fine Leaf Stonecrop, Blue Spruce Stonecrop, Needle Stonecrop, Blue Carpet Sedum, Carpet Stonecrop, Creeping Blue Sedum
📌 Product Description
Sedum rupestre, commonly known as Fine Leaf Stonecrop, is a fast-spreading evergreen succulent valued for its slender, needle-like blue-green foliage that forms dense, textured mats. The fine leaves cluster tightly along creeping stems, creating a soft, carpet-like groundcover effect.
In full sun, the foliage develops a stronger blue-grey tone and may take on subtle golden hues during extreme heat or cold. In late spring to summer, small yellow star-shaped flowers rise slightly above the foliage, adding seasonal interest.
A hardy, drought-tolerant groundcover perfectly suited to South African water-wise gardens, rockeries, slopes, and erosion control areas.
📏 Size When Fully Grown
Height: 10 – 20 cm
Spread: 50 – 80+ cm
Growth Habit: Low-growing, mat-forming succulent groundcover
Growth Rate: Fast
🌱 Best Growing Conditions
Light: Full sun for best colour and compact growth
Soil: Well-draining sandy or gritty soil
Water:
Moderate watering during establishment
Drought-tolerant once established
Allow soil to dry between watering
Avoid waterlogged soil
Feeding: Light compost application in spring if needed
Maintenance:
Trim back if growth becomes uneven
Easily propagated from stem cuttings
Ensure good drainage to prevent root rot
🌦️ Planting & Growing Season (South Africa)
Best Planting Time: Spring or early summer
Flowering Season: Late spring to summer
Growing Season: Spring and summer
Climate Suitability: Suitable for most South African regions
Frost Tolerance: Tolerates light to moderate frost
🌼 Additional Benefits
Fast-spreading groundcover
Excellent erosion control
Drought-resistant
Low-maintenance
Frost-tolerant
Easy to propagate
🌿 Ideal Uses
✔ Rock gardens
✔ Slopes and embankments
✔ Retaining walls
✔ Path edging
✔ Groundcover planting
✔ Water-wise landscapes
✔ Succulent bowls as filler/spiller
