Sedum Bon Bon - Stonecrop

Sedum telephium ‘Bon Bon’, also known as Hylotelephium telephium 'Bon Bon', is an autumn stonecrop that combines a neat appearance with superb colour. This perennial forms a pretty clump of purple stems bearing leaves in shades of brown and burgundy. Small pink clusters bloom in summer, bursting into life with a perpetual ballet of butterflies throughout the flowering season. This plant is appreciated for its ease of cultivation in a wide variety of conditions, both in the garden and in pots.

Sedum 'Bon Bon' belongs to the Crassulaceae family. It is a hybrid cultivar obtained in the Netherlands in 2006 by Degenhardt. This 'Bon Bon' variety forms a small, bushy, dense clump, reaching between 40 and 50cm (16 to 20in) in height and spreading over 45cm (18in). Flowering takes place between the end of July and September. The inflorescences, in rounded terminal cymes, are composed of tiny star-shaped flowers in a delicate pink colour. Intensely nectar-rich and honey-bearing, they attract many insects and butterflies. The deciduous foliage is thick and fleshy, with an undulate and crenate margin. The colour of the glossy leaves is intermediate between chocolate-brown and reddish-brown. They are borne on purple stems. The above-ground vegetation is absent in winter, but emerges from the ground in spring.

Sedum or Hylotelephium telephium 'Bon Bon' is perfect for areas of the garden with lean, thin soil. It prefers well-drained, even dry soil and does not tolerate waterlogged soil in winter. Plant it with the stones of a rockery, the paving of a patio, or on low walls, surrounding it with a procession of Euphorbias (E.myrsinites, E. 'Orange Man'), grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia and Eragrostis, sempervivums, and plants with grey foliage such as artemisias and cinerarias, which accept the same difficult living conditions. Its sculptural design works well in pots. It is also an excellent flower to dry, or for bouquets of fresh flowers.