Stonecrop: species, growing from seed and cuttings, rockery and green roof

Low carpeting and tall autumn stonecrops: sowing tiny seeds, propagation by cuttings, planting in a rockery, on a green roof and in containers, and spring cutting.

In short: Stonecrop (Sedum) is a drought-loving perennial with fleshy leaves for a rockery, a green roof and containers. Low species form carpets 5–15 cm high; tall stonecrops (now Hylotelephium) grow 40–60 cm and flower from August. It wants sun and poor, well-drained soil. It is propagated most easily by cuttings; from seed only botanical species.

Latin name	Sedum and Hylotelephium, stonecrop family
Height	carpeting 5–15 cm, tall 40–60 cm
Flowering	low May–July, tall August–October
Sowing	March–April on the surface, 15–20 °C, germinates in 2–4 weeks
Cuttings	April–August, root in 2–3 weeks
Watering	once rooted only in a long dry spell

Stonecrops are plants for places where others give up: a south-facing slope, gaps between stones, the flat roof of a garage or a window box that gets forgotten in summer. They store water in their fleshy leaves and in drought simply slow down. In spring, summer and autumn they offer different colours of leaves and flowers.

Under one Czech name, however, two quite different groups hide. Low carpeting stonecrops belong in a rockery and on a roof, tall "autumn" stonecrops in a perennial border. This article covers both.

Low and tall stonecrops: an overview of species

According to botany.cz the genus Sedum has over 450 species. Botanists moved the large upright stonecrops into a separate genus, Hylotelephium, but in garden centres they are still sold as stonecrop or Sedum.

Species	Height	Flower colour	Flowers	Use
biting stonecrop (Sedum acre)	5–12 cm	yellow	May–June	rockery, roof, joints, native species
white stonecrop (Sedum album)	5–15 cm	white	June–August	rockery, green roof, often red in winter
Caucasian stonecrop (Sedum spurium, now placed in the genus Phedimus)	10–15 cm	pink to dark red	July–August	carpet plantings, slopes, bed edges
rock stonecrop (Sedum rupestre, S. reflexum)	15–25 cm	yellow	June–July	rockery, containers, needle-like blue-green leaves
orpine (Hylotelephium telephium) and showy stonecrop (H. spectabile), hybrids such as 'Herbstfreude'	40–60 cm	pink, purple, white	August–October	perennial border, large containers, for butterflies

Low species spread by creeping stems and quickly cover bare ground. Biting stonecrop is a native species of dry slopes and rocks, but in a garden it can spread even where you do not want it. Tall hylotelephiums form compact clumps and do not spread.

Growing stonecrop from seed

Stonecrop seeds are as tiny as dust and germinate in light. Botanical species and mixes for rockeries can be grown from seed. Named varieties, for example 'Herbstfreude' or 'Dragon's Blood', do not come true from seed; they are propagated by cuttings or division.

Timing. Sow in March to April on a windowsill, or in May outdoors in a tray.
Compost. Mix seed compost with about half perlite or fine sand. Level the surface and moisten it with a sprayer.
Sowing. Mix the seeds with a pinch of dry sand so they spread evenly and scatter them over the surface. Do not cover; just press lightly.
Germination. Cover the tray with a clear lid and keep it in light at 15–20 °C. They germinate in 2–4 weeks, sometimes unevenly.
Watering. Only with a sprayer or by soaking from below. A stream of water washes the tiny seeds away.
Transplanting. When the plantlets are about 1–2 cm tall, transplant them in small clumps into a cell tray or tray. Plant them out once well rooted, usually in June.

Plants from seed grow more slowly than from cuttings, and a continuous carpet usually forms only in the second year.

Propagation by cuttings and division

The fastest route to a carpet of stonecrops is through cuttings. One plant from a neighbour is enough.

Low species. From April to August break off shoots 3–5 cm long and insert them in well-drained compost or straight into the rockery. They root in 2–3 weeks. With biting and white stonecrop even individual fallen leaves root.
Tall hylotelephiums. In spring, when the shoots are 10 cm tall, you can divide them with a spade into several parts with roots. In June you can cut 8–10 cm long tips as cuttings, let them dry for a day and insert them in moist sandy compost.

Where to plant stonecrop

Rockery and dry stone wall

Stonecrops want full sun and well-drained, even poor soil. In nutritious, moist soil they stretch, lose colour and rot. In a rockery plant them in the joints between stones and in a gravel base. How to build a rockery so that it drains water is described in the article building a rockery – what you must know before you start.

Green roof

Low stonecrops are the main plant of extensive green roofs. A thin layer of special roof substrate, usually 6–10 cm, is enough for them, and watering only in the first weeks after planting. The roof, however, has to be designed with a specialist firm, mainly because of load-bearing capacity and waterproofing. Of the stonecrops, mainly white, biting, rock and Caucasian stonecrop are used for roofs.

Perennial border

Tall hylotelephiums belong in the front and middle of a sunny border, with ornamental grasses, coneflowers, sages or asters. In August and September butterflies and honeybees settle on their flat flower clusters. You will find other suitable perennials in the article ornamental perennials – plant once, enjoy for years.

Containers and window boxes

In a container stonecrops need a drainage layer at the bottom and compost mixed with perlite or sand. Low bowls, where they are combined with houseleeks, also suit. Water once the compost has dried to a finger's depth, and in winter hardly at all. Why drainage matters is explained in the article drainage in a flower pot.

Cutting back and winter care

Low stonecrops need almost no cutting. After flowering you can snip off the dry flower heads with grass shears, and the stand then stays tidy.

With tall hylotelephiums the so-called "Chelsea chop" has proved its worth. At the end of May shorten the shoots by up to half. The plant branches, stays lower and more compact, and the stems do not flop under the weight of the flowers. It starts to flower a little later.

In autumn do not cut the dry flower heads of tall stonecrops. They hold their shape all winter, look decorative under hoar frost and protect the centre of the clump. Cut them only in spring, when new fleshy shoots come up at ground level. Stonecrops are hardy and need no winter cover; only winter wet harms them.

Why stonecrop rots, flops or fades

What you see	Cause	What to do
soft, translucent or black stems at ground level	overwatering, heavy soil	remove affected parts, insert healthy tips as cuttings in well-drained compost
a tall stonecrop flops to the sides	too many nutrients, shade, an old clump	do not feed, shorten by half at the end of May, divide the clump
stretched pale shoots	too little light	move to full sun
wilting in a container with no obvious cause	vine weevil larvae in the roots	check the root ball, remove the larvae, repot into clean compost
nibbled leaves and shoots in spring	slugs	check on damp evenings and collect them

Is stonecrop poisonous?

The American ASPCA lists burro's tail (Sedum morganianum), grown as a houseplant, as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. With garden species, caution is in order with biting stonecrop. Its Czech name refers to a sharp, burning taste, and in larger quantities it irritates the digestive tract. Stonecrop was formerly also used as a medicinal herb; today it is not recommended for internal use.

Frequently asked questions

When should I plant stonecrop?

From spring to the end of August, so that it roots before winter. Plants from pots can be planted all season, just water them for the first two to three weeks.

How do I propagate stonecrop?

Most easily by cuttings: a broken-off shoot inserted in well-drained compost roots in 2–3 weeks. Tall stonecrops are divided with a spade in spring.

How do I grow stonecrop from seed?

Scatter the tiny seeds in March to April on the surface of compost mixed with perlite, do not cover them and keep them in light at 15–20 °C. They germinate in 2–4 weeks.

When should I cut a tall stonecrop?

The dry flower heads only in spring, when new shoots come up. If you want a lower and sturdier plant, shorten the shoots by half at the end of May.

Does stonecrop need watering?

In a bed and in a rockery only after planting and in a long dry spell. In a container water once the compost has dried to a finger's depth, in winter only exceptionally.

Sources

Updated: 27 September 2026

Author: Jana Vránová, the editorial name of the Pěstík.cz team. She writes about the garden, herbs and essential oils. We take safety and dosage data from specialist literature and official sources, which we cite in every article.