Sedum Lemon Ball - Stonecrop

Sedum 'Lemon Ball' is a Stonecrop forming charming cushions with thin fleshy and tightly packed lime-green leaves. It produces an abundance of small sulphur-yellow flowers in summer. Flowers, leaves, and stems then create a surprisingly bright display.

The Sedum or stonecrop is a succulent plant of the Crassulaceae family, the 'Lemon Ball' variety is derived from Sedum reflexum. Native to all dry areas of the northern hemisphere, sedum is found in both Boreal and Mediterranean regions. It is a plant that can live in extreme areas: its advantage is that it has the ability to store liquids in its leaves and fleshy stems to better cope with water stress. Sedum can have a creeping, upright, or cushion-like habit.

Sedum 'Lemon Ball' is an evergreen variety with a cushion-like habit reaching 30 cm (12in) in all directions when mature.  The leaves form thin fleshy and tightly packed filaments which are a lime- green colour. From June to September, an abundance of small sulphur-yellow flowers with bilateral symmetry appear assembled in cymes.

Sedum doesn't have many requirements. It is happy to grow in a poor and ordinary soil with little substrate, even limestone, thanks to a shallow root system. It should be placed in full sun as it requires high light intensity and in a dry, well-drained soil. It is hardy and withstands temperatures down to -15°C (5°F) without damage. It is superb in borders or simply in pots, it is also perfect for colonising gaps or crevices, dressing a wall, or adding colour to a rockery. It is often used in green walls and roofs.  Sedum Lemon Ball is highly nectar-producing and will attract butterflies for an extra touch of colour.

Sedum is reputed to have healing properties for small cuts, abrasions, or burns. It also has a diuretic and purgative effect.