Growing Sedum (Showy Stonecrop): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
Showy stonecrop is the border sedum with flat flower heads that open dusty pink in late summer and dry to rust.
The name changed, the plant did not
Botanists moved it out of Sedum into Hylotelephium. Every seed rack and nursery still labels it sedum, and this site records both so a search for either finds it.
Rich soil is the enemy
Fed and watered well, the stems grow soft and the clump splits open in the middle under the weight of the flower heads. Poor soil, full sun and restraint with the hose produce a plant that stands up on its own. If yours flops every year, that is the cause.
Leave the heads on
The dried flower heads hold their shape through winter, catch snow, and feed birds. Cutting the plant down in autumn throws away the best three months it has.
Sizes
One to two feet tall and wide, hardy zones 4 through 9, full sun to partial shade, flowering late summer into fall. Give it about two square feet.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Hylotelephium spectabile.
Companion planting guide for Sedum (Showy Stonecrop) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 4-9. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Sedum (Showy Stonecrop) doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Sedum (Showy Stonecrop) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: about 2 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 1-2 ft.
Where to buy sedum seeds
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing sedum (showy stonecrop)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Sedum (Showy Stonecrop): Succulent foliage all season, flat pink flower heads in late summer, and dried seed heads worth leaving all winter.
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