Aizoon Stonecrop
Phedimus aizoon
- Succulent
- Drought tolerant
- Edible
- Cottage garden
- Pollinator friendly
A non-creeping, clump-forming stonecrop with fleshy leaves and branched clusters of yellow flowers in early summer.
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Unlike the low, creeping sedums many gardeners know, aizoon stonecrop grows in upright clumps from a sturdy woody rootstock. A member of the stonecrop family native to Central and East Asia, it carries fleshy, toothed leaves and crowns itself with branched clusters of bright yellow, star-shaped flowers in early summer.
Two faces
The species appears in two color forms — one with green leaves and yellow flowers, the other with wine-brown foliage and golden blooms. After flowering, star-like seed pods extend the interest into late summer.
Care tips
Give it full sun and lean, gritty, well-drained soil and it will thrive on neglect. The young leaves and stems are edible, and the plant self-seeds happily, making it a natural fit for cottage gardens and green roofs.
Habitat & form
Where it's from and what to expect.
- Native range
- Temperate eastern Asia (Siberia, Mongolia, China, Korea, and Japan)
- Plant type
- Succulent
- Mature size
- 20–50 cm (8–20 in.) tall on unbranched stems.
- Bloom
- Yellow flowers in branched clusters in early summer, followed by star-like seed pods in late summer.
Care
How to keep it happy.
- Sunlight
- Full sun; tolerates light shade.
- Water
- Drought tolerant; prefers dry to moderately moist, well-drained soil.
- Soil
- Rocky, shallow, well-drained soil of low to moderate fertility — from limestone to sandstone.
- Pruning
- Maintenance: trim off spent flower stems and cut the clump back in late fall or early spring. Divide the clump to rejuvenate it.