Sedum Pinky - Autumn Stonecrop

Sedum 'Pinky', also known as Hylotelephium 'Pinky', is a selection of small stonecrop. It is a remarkable spreading perennial ground cover that stands out with its young pink leaves bordered and speckled with cream-white. The plant forms a small, low, spreading and gently multicolored tuft that does not go unnoticed. Its light pink flowering, which can spread from July to September, is a boon for butterflies and various insects. A remarkable plant, easy to grow, perfect for containers or to add colour to a rockery.

Stonecrops are proof that poor soil can also grow beautiful specimens with subtle hues. If your soil is poor, rather dry, stony, or even slightly chalky, you can nevertheless benefit from hardy perennials (they resist temperatures below -15°C (5°F)), which do not require maintenance and promise to liven up the garden with visits from butterflies. These succulents are easy to grow and have flowers and foliage in various shades that can create astonishing displays, whether in beds, containers, or rockeries.

Sedum or Hylotelephium 'Pinky' is an American selection derived from the variety 'Andrew's Pinky'. This hybrid has a spreading habit, 15cm (6in) tall and up to 45 cm (18in) wide. Its stems bear small oval and spatulate leaves, which are somewhat leathery, with gently toothed margins. This deciduous foliage disappears in winter. The young leaves are pink, bordered and speckled with cream. They gradually turn a soft green, creating a beautiful colour combination on the plant. Its summer flowering is charming. Its inflorescences, in small clusters, are made up of multiple star-shaped light pink flowers, highly prized by insects.

This 'Pinky' stonecrop is an asset to bring colour to all corners of the garden. Plant it at the edge of a patio or a gravel border, in a rockery, or in pots that you can move as you wish. It requires little maintenance and is therefore suitable for green roofs. In borders, it forms an elegant foreground that draws the eye to its neighbours or can be placed under shrubs (facing south) to dress poor soils. To accompany it, consider houseleeks, other sedums (Sedum lydium 'Glaucum', Sedum spurium 'Voodoo') to vary the colours, and delospermas.