Sedum SunSparkler Jade Tuffet - Stonecrop

Sedum 'Jade Tuffet' is an upright and compact stonecrop, with elongated, tender green leaves that adorn purple stems. In summer, its pink flowers form a veritable bouquet above the stems. It is equally suitable for rock gardens as well as container cultivation, and prefers dry to moist, well-drained soil in the sun.

Sedums, or stonecrops, belong to the Crassulaceae family, which includes many species of drought-resistant succulent plants. There are many allies for the garden, with varied shapes and colours. 'Jade Tuffet' belongs to the SunSparkler hybrid series, which are recent American creations with amazing foliage.

This variety stands out with its elongated bright green leaves (which are reminiscent of Sedum aizoon, another wonder for rockeries), elegantly dressing its upright stems with a beautiful purplish red colour. The contrast is extremely attractive. Between August and October, 'Jade Tuffet' produces pink flowers, carried well above the stems, forming a round, compact and abundant bouquet. These flowers are extremely popular with pollinators. The whole forms a dense tuft, about 20cm (8in) high and round, and 35cm (14in) at flowering.

Place Sedum 'Jade Tuffet' in the sun, or in very light shade (otherwise its stems will wilt), in any well-drained, rocky soil, that is not too acidic. It will look wonderful in the foreground of a flower bed. It is also very easy to grow in a pot, taking care not to overwater it and selecting a substrate that does not retain too much moisture. In late autumn, the stems and leaves completely disappear, and you can cut the dry parts at the end of winter.

In a rockery or dry border, you can plant it with Sedum 'Firecracker', which is more prostrate, for a nice blend with its purple foliage. It will also be a good companion for other rockery plants such as aubrietas, Teucrium lucidum, 'Blue Cascade' rosemary, or the grass Bouteloua gracilis.