Sedum spurium Dragons Blood - Autumn Stonecrop

Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood' is an interesting variety of red stonecrop with gleaming autumn foliage and long summer flowering of sought-after brilliant red, which attracts butterflies. Growing as a carpet close to the ground, the vegetation of this perennial embraces the terrain that it covers with a colourful mantle. Its long stems easily take root in crevices and colonise rockeries as well as dry areas lacking depth. It prefers full sun.

Sedum spurium (synonym: Phedimus spurius) belongs to the Crassulaceae family. Its ancestor is widespread in the rocky scree of the mountains of central and western Europe. The 'Dragon's Blood' variety is a semi-stoloniferous plant with a mat-forming habit, 10cm (4in) tall, which can reach a spread of 50cm (20in). Its long stems bear small oval and spatulate leaves, which are somewhat leathery and sometimes bear dentate margins. This foliage persists in winter. It is green with a reddish border. In autumn, the cold encourages the leaves to turn red to purple. Its charming and delicate flowering takes place in July-August. Its miniature corymb inflorescences are made up of multiple star-shaped red flowers, highly prized by insects that continue to pollinate them.

Sedums 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 these hardy perennials (they withstand temperatures below -15°C (5°F)). They 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 spurium 'Dragon's Blood' is valuable for bringing colour to every corner. Plant it along pathways, at the edge of a patio, at the foot of a wall, or in pots that you can move as you please. It combines easily with all rockery plants, requires no monitoring, and colonises abandoned spaces. It is suitable for planting on green roofs. In borders, it forms a bright foreground that draws the eye to its neighbours or can be placed under bushes (exposed to the south) to fill poor soils.