Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Night Embers Autumn Stonecrop: A Narrow Dark Vase for Tight Spots
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Night Embers autumn stonecrop grows strictly upright, with thick, semi-glossy leaves in dark black-purple along stiff, deep red stems. In late summer to early fall, loose clusters of light mauve-pink flowers open along the upper half of the stems, a soft glow over dark foliage, like the last coals in a fire pit.
Its shape is the selling point. Night Embers is a narrow vase, slim at the base and wider at the top, and it stays upright without flopping, so it fits into spots where a sprawling sedum would not.
Night Embers at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hylotelephium 'Night Embers' |
| Foliage | Dark black-purple, semi-glossy, 2 to 3 inches long |
| Flowers | Light mauve-pink star-shaped clusters on deep red stems |
| Size | 24 to 26 inches tall and wide |
| Bloom | Late summer to early fall |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Pollinators visit; rabbits avoid it |
Room at its feet
Because Night Embers is narrow at the base, it leaves space for shorter plants around it. That makes it handy in a lavender bed, where you want air around every crown. Slip it between lavender plants as a dark vertical accent, or plant it behind a low edging of creeping thyme or a low sedum. The black-purple leaves sharpen lavender's silver all summer, and the mauve-pink flowers carry color after the lavender harvest.
It also works in narrow strips along a walk or foundation where wide plants would block the path. Sketch the placement in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Planting: set the bare root plant with its crown at soil level and water it in. Keep it lightly moist until new growth appears.
- Sun: full sun for the darkest leaf color and the strongest stems.
- Soil: average to poor, well drained. It rots in wet, heavy ground.
- Water: very drought tolerant once established.
- Feeding: none. Rich soil softens the stems.
- Spring: cut last year's stems down as new growth appears at the base.
Late-season value
In a lavender garden, late summer can feel like the off-season. Night Embers fills that gap, and leaving the stems up through winter adds dark structure to the snow. The flowers also give late pollinators something to visit when most of the bed has finished.
Frequently asked questions
Does Night Embers flop open in fall?
No. It is strictly upright and stays that way in full sun and lean soil.
Can it grow right next to lavender?
Yes. It wants the same sun and drainage, and its narrow base leaves room for airflow around the lavender.
Will rabbits eat it?
Rabbits avoid it, a welcome trait in open gardens.
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