Yellow Stonecrop, Sedum spathulifolium

About Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) 40 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Yellow Stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium) is a native perennial herb in the Crassulaceae (Stonecrop) family that is found in rocky or mountainous areas over a large part of the state, but more commonly in northern California. It is also found northward to British Columbia. It tends to grow in a hanging or sprawling manner on the face of cliffs or steep rocky outcrops, often in shade, at elevations from 0-7500 feet. The leaves are somewhat thick and succulent. In spring the plant puts up an erect flower stalk with diminutive yellow flowers. This succulent works well in rock gardens in northern California. Plant at an angle so that water does not collect on the crown. In its native setting this plant receives abundant moisture in winter/spring, then remains relatively dry through summer. It is evergreen but may shrivel somewhat in summer.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb, Succulent

Size

1.2 - 8.4 in tall
1 - 3 ft wide

Form

Spreading

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Species in the Sedum genus are host plant to the Variegated Fritillary butterfly
Butterfly gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 10 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Moss' Elfin Callophrys mossiiCallophrys mossii

Common Buckeye Junonia coeniaJunonia coenia

Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudiaEuptoieta claudia

The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus

Rocky Mountain Parnassian Parnassius smintheusParnassius smintheus

Desert Elfin Callophrys fotisCallophrys fotis

Sierra Nevada Parnassian Parnassius behriiParnassius behrii

Landscaping Information

Sun

Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 40

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Rocky or gravelly. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants

Use in a rock garden setting with other plants of northern California such as Sea Pink (Armeria maritima), Ceanothus sp., Clarkia sp., Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii), Coast Larkspur (Delphinium decorum), Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa), Blue Gilia (Gilia capitata), Cliff Maids (Lewisia cotyledon), and Lupine (Lupinus sp.)

Sunset Zones?

1, 2, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Cliffs, rocky outcrops

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 13.2" - 129.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.21" - 4.57", Coldest Month: 21.1" - 51.5", Hottest Month: 50.3" - 78.0", Humidity: 0.10" - 26.53", Elevation: 4" - 9984"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Broadleaf Stonecrop

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Yellow Stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium

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Yellow StonecropSedum spathulifolium

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Yellow Stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium