Sedum dasyphyllum Photo by: Carolina González
Origin and Habitat: Western Mediterranean, Southern and central Europe ( France England Switzerland, Austria Spain Portugal and Italy), Turkey (Anatolia) and North Africa. Widely naturalized in the other European countries and in temperate north and south America.
Altitude range: This species grows at altitudes between 0-2500 metres above sea level.
Habitat and ecology: Sedum dasyphyllumSN|27198]]SN|27198]] is common on rocks and in dry stony habitats. The plant tends to grow on vertical walls, houses walls, tuff walls of rural areas, church-yards and in waste places.
Synonyms:
See all synonyms of Sedum dasyphyllum
Common Names include:
ENGLISH: Thick leaved stonecrop, Thick-leaved stonecrop, Leafy stonecrop, Round leaved stonecrop, Thick-leaved sedum, Corsican stonecrop, Stonecrop
FRENCH (Français): Orpin à feuilles épaisses, Orpin à feuilles glanduleuses
GERMAN (Deutsch): Dickblättrige Fetthenne, Buckel-Fetthenne, Dickblatt-Fetthenne, Buckel-Mauerpfeffer
ITALIAN (Italiano): Erba della principessa
LOMBARD (Lombard / Lumbaart): Ris gras
RUSSIAN (Русский): Очиток густолистный
SPANISH (Español): Arrocetas
SWEDISH (Svenska): Luddfetknopp
WELSH (Cymraeg): Briweg dewddail
Description: The thick leaved stonecrop (Sedum dasyphyllumSN|27198]]SN|27198]]) is a small spreading perennial succulent herb that forms a low mat of tiny tightly packed round powdery grey-green or turquoise-grey leaves, 8 (-12) cm tall when in flower. Clusters of white and pink streaked star flowers with little black dots on the petals and green ovaries appear in early summer. The plants are glandular-pubescent throughout or rarely glabrous, with hairs not conspicuously white and coarse. It remains evergreen in mild regions and takes on a mauve cast during cool weather. Sedum dasyphyllumSN|27198]]SN|27198]] is both widespread and variable. Although the typical form from central Europe is quite distinct, it is impossible to separate it unequivocally from the multitude of other forms, with the exception of Sedum dasyphyllumSN|27198]]SN|27198]] subs. glanduliferum.
Growth form: Chameophyte (Small or dwarf shrubs)
Stems: Weak, decumbent-creeping, downy at top, flowering branches upright.
Root: Perennial composed of small white fibres.
Leaves: Decussate (rarely some shoots with altemate leaves), imbricate, succulent, densely packed, grey-green, glaucous green, to reddish, ovate, ellipsoid or obovate, 3.5-7 mm, obtuse semiterete or subacute.
Inflorescences (panicles): Erect or ascending, usually glandular-pubescent, simple,few flowered, lax and glutinose.
Flowers: 5-6- (to 8-)merous, shortly pedicellate; sepals basally fused, equal, ovate, acute, 1-1.5 mm long. Calyx pubescent viscid. Petals very fleshy convex on both sides basally free, oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, white, often with a pink to reddish keel, 3-5 mm long. Nectaries yellow obovate and notched or almost obcordate. Pistils 5 (sometimes to 8) always equal to the number of petals, nectaries and calyx segments and the stamens twice as many. Ovaries green. Filaments white alternate with the petals and longer than the rest.
Blooming season: Early summer.
Fruits: Erect, brown.
Seeds: Ovoid, dull-brown, costate.
Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Sedum dasyphyllum group
Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Henk 't Hart, Urs Eggli “Sedums of Europe - Stonecrops and Wallpeppers” CRC Press, 01 June 2003
2) Flora iberica, Accepted name of Sedum, http://www.floraiberica.org/eng/PHP/cientificos_.php?gen=Sedum&familia=Crassulaceae, [13/ April / 2015]
3) Samuel Frederick Gray “A Natural Arrangement of British Plants: According to Their Relations to Each Other as Pointed Out by Jussieu, De Candolle, Brown, &c.” Baldwin, Cradock, and Joy, 1821
4) Kristin Green “Plantiful: Start Small, Grow Big with 150 Plants That Spread, Self-Sow, and Overwinter” Timber Press, 26 February 2014
5) John Wilkes “Encyclopaedia Londinensis” Volume 22 1827
6) Johannes Seidemann “World Spice Plants: Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy” Springer Science & Business Media, 27 December 2005
7) Stephen Robson “The British Flora: Containing the Select Names, Characters, Places of Growth, Duration, and Time of Flowering of the Plants Growing Wild in Great Britain : to which are Prefixed the Principles of Botany” W. Blanchard, 1777
8) William Jackson Hooker “Botanical miscellany: containing figures and descriptions of such plants as recommend themselves by their novelty, rarity or history” Volume 3 1833
9) Wikipedia contributors. "Sedum dasyphyllum." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Cultivation and Propagation: Sedum dasyphyllumSN|19404]]SN|27198]] is always an interesting plant and very easy to grow in container or in the rock garden. It propagates itself freely upon walls in waste places and about garden pots. It is incredibly tough, sun and drought tolerant, but also will do well in shade. The minuscule pinkish grey leaves break off easily and take root making new tiny mounds.
Growth rate: It is a fast grower, that it is best kept away from slower alpine plants.
Soil: This species require a well drained succulent soil mix. Outdoors it will spread itself through narrow locations between rockery stones. It does not prefer rich loamy soil; gritty dirt with pea gravel suits it.
Watering: It takes little water & could rot if watered too often. During the growing season, the plants are watered and allowed to dry slightly before watering again. Although they can take a great deal of drought, they seem to do better with regular (but moderated) watering and it is best to refrain from watering it until the rootball has dried out completely. During the winter months, plants are watered very little. Its succulent leaves will store enough water to survive for long time.
Exposition: It need full sun to light shade and tolerates shade, but a sunny spot is nicest, though in warmer climates it needs protection from too much sun because it is not very heat tolerant.
Frost Tolerance: Hardy at least to -12°C (or less).In very cold areas it must be protected in the greenhouse over the winter, mow or clip back in the garden in spring if desired. .
Uses: They can form a carpet that drapes over stones or walls outdoors on rock crevices with favourable water regime, eastern slopes alpine house, poor, drained soil, shading in summer. Sedum sexangulare, Sedum anglicum, Sedum lydium, Sedum acreSN|27198]]SN|19404]], and others can be a nuisance among choice perennials, where every tiny leaflet that breaks off quickly forms a new plant.
Propagation: This is a tough plant which spreads aggressively, division of old plant can be made in spring and late summer; cuttings in summer.
Warning: Sedums may causes stomach irritation if ingested; skin irritation from sap contact.
Sedum dasyphyllum L.
