Who it feeds
The starry white April flowers feed small native bees and hover flies; the succulent mats shelter tiny invertebrates.
What it does for the place
An evergreen ground cover for shady rocks and dry soil under trees where almost nothing else will grow.
The story
The only sedum native to the eastern woodlands, growing on rocks and logs in shade from New York to Georgia. It has been a rock-garden plant since the 1800s.
Worth knowing
- Stem pieces root wherever they touch soil.
- It tolerates both drought and damp shade.
- Unlike the big Asian garden sedums, it blooms in spring.
Saving its seed
Ripe: Jun. Tiny dry follicles after bloom.
Collect: Not practical.
Sow: Rarely grown from seed; divide or take cuttings instead. Stem cuttings root in days on damp soil.
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