Upright Sedum
These beauties are one of the most reliable food sources for pollinators in the fall garden. This sedum is a native of China and is a relative of the many different types of sedums that are common in the landscape. This perennial is upright in growth with thick fleshy green leaves. About mid-summer the sedum starts to develop pink bloom buds in large clusters at the end of the stems. These blooms will open in late summer to early fall and bloom for several weeks. This perennial is one of my favorites because it is easy to grow and relatively care free. Plant them in full sun (although they will grow in partial shade) and well drained soil. Sedums don’t like wet soils and will rot easily. They also do best in slightly poorer soil conditions as they can get too tall and fall over in overly rich conditions. There are a variety of different upright sedums, the most common is a variety called “Autumn Joy” however there are new selections that have a range of bloom colors from white to purple and a variety of leaf colors.
