Sedum makinoi Lime - Stonecrop

Sedum makinoi 'Lime', or stonecrop, is a small perennial ground cover that has the advantage of colonising the most difficult terrains. Its long stems easily root in crevices and establish themselves in poor and dry soils. Its small bright and unique lime-green leaves are semi-evergreen and form a lovely carpet. From July to August, it is adorned with delicate yellow flowers. This is a boon for insects. It prefers a position in the sun.

Stonecrops are proof that poor soil can provide a home to beautiful specimens with generous flowering. If your soil is poor, rather dry, even rocky, or even slightly chalky, you can still benefit from hardy perennials (they withstand temperatures below -15°C (5°F)), which require no maintenance and promise to enliven the garden with visits from butterflies. These succulents are easy to grow and have flowers and foliage in various shades that can create multiple palettes, whether in flower beds or containers. However, you can still grow them in rich, moist, and heavy substrate. They will acclimatise without any problems if you take care to add gravel. They should not be subjected to excess moisture in winter or be covered with dead leaves, as this may cause them to wither.

Sedum makinoi is a species native to Japan. The 'Lime' variety is a novelty, obtained in 2017 by the Israeli nursery Jaldety. It has a creeping habit, 10cm (4in) tall, which can reach a spread of 50cm (20in), thanks to its dark-coloured stoloniferous stems. They bear small flattened leaves arranged in rosettes. This semi-evergreen foliage has a beautiful bright lime-green colour, which can turn red depending on the season. These nuances vary, like most of its counterparts in the same genus, depending on the climatic conditions. The amount of light and water will either lighten or accentuate its colours. From this carpet of leaves, a fresh and delicate flowering emerges. Its miniature inflorescences consist of multiple star-shaped yellow flowers, highly prized by insects that continue to forage them.

Sedum makinoi 'Lime' is an asset for greening every corner of the garden or courtyard. Plant it along paths, at the edge of a patio, at the foot of a wall, or in pots that you can move as you wish. It combines easily with all rock plants, requires no supervision, and colonises abandoned spaces. It is suitable for green roofs. In flower beds, it forms a colourful foreground that draws the eye to its neighbours or can be placed under bushes (exposed to the south) to fill poor soils. For a long-lasting flowering, accompany it with Iberis sempervirens (spring flowering) and Aster rugulosus 'Asrugo' (autumn flowering).