Hylotelephium spectabile Night Embers - Stonecrop

Sedum (Hylotelephium) spectabile 'Night Embers' is a remarkable autumn stonecrop, characterized by the very dark colour of its foliage, a purplish violet shade tending towards black. This perennial forms a beautiful upright tuft and is adorned with subtly coloured inflorescences in mauve pink in late summer. The overall effect offers a unique and refined color palette that stands out in the garden. It is a plant that is even more rewarding as it tolerates both dry and poor soils as well as cold temperatures. And its beautiful flowering provides food for numerous butterflies and other pollinators.

The 'Night Embers' autumn Hylotelephium belongs to the Crassulaceae family. It is a cultivar obtained by Walters Gardens in the U.S.A. It comes from the Sedum spectabile (synonymous with Hylotelephium spectabile), a perennial species native to China and Korea. It forms a dense tuft, proudly upright, reaching 60 to 65cm in height with a roughly equivalent spread. Its growth is quite slow. The flowering generally starts in September, remaining decorative until the first frost. The inflorescences, in compact and rounded terminal cymes, reach 5 to 7cm in diameter. The tiny flowers emerge as dark pink buds and then open in a light pink shade, tending towards mauve. Highly nectariferous and melliferous, they attract numerous insects. The above-ground vegetation is deciduous, emerging from the ground in spring and disappearing before winter. The sturdy stems are very dark red. They bear thick, fleshy, glossy oval-shaped leaves measuring between 5 and 7cm in length. Their colour is a very dark purple.

Perfect for areas in the garden where the soil is lacking in depth, the 'Night Embers' Sedum is a plant that thrives in well-drained, even dry soil. Pair it with rocks in the rock garden, paving stones on the terrace, and low walls. It can be surrounded by a procession of ornamental grasses such as Stipa and Eragrostis, and grey-leaved plants such as Cerastiums, Artemisias, and silver Cinerarias, which, like it, tolerate these challenging living conditions. Its remarkably coloured foliage will be perfectly enhanced by the blue flowering of 'Cat's Pyjama' Nepetas. Its visual appeal is also suitable for container planting and it is an excellent flower for drying or for fresh flower arrangements.