Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Pure Joy Stonecrop: Blue-Green in Spring, Bubblegum Pink by Fall
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Pure Joy stonecrop changes its look as the season goes. In spring it is a low, rounded mound of tiny blue-green leaves. Through summer the leaves grow and lighten to fresh green. Then, in late summer, the whole plant vanishes under a big dome of bubblegum pink star flowers, followed by deeper pink seed heads in fall.
It lives on sun, lean soil and neglect, the same diet as lavender, so it makes a tidy edger along the front of a lavender bed.
Pure Joy at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hylotelephium 'Pure Joy' |
| Flowers | Bubblegum pink stars in a large dome; sterile |
| Foliage | Small, fleshy, toothed; blue-green in spring, lighter green by late summer |
| Size | 10 to 12 inches tall, 16 to 20 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts late August, peaks mid-September |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Excellent late-season food for bees and butterflies |
A season-long story at the bed edge
Follow a lavender bed edged with Pure Joy through a year. In spring, the cool blue-green mounds echo lavender's silvery new growth. In June and July, they sit quietly as a neat green line while the lavender blooms behind them. After harvest, when the lavender has been cut back, Pure Joy takes the stage with soft pink domes that keep bees and butterflies coming until fall.
If you want more drama, alternate Pure Joy with its darker sibling, Pride and Joy, for a pink-and-deep-pink rhythm along the edge. Lay out the pattern in the Companion Plant Planner.
Easy, as long as it stays dry
- Plant in full sun in average to poor, well-drained soil.
- Water through the first season, then mostly leave it alone. It is very drought tolerant and rots in soggy ground.
- Skip the fertilizer. Rich or overwatered soil makes the stems stretch and flop.
- Watch for aphids and sedum weevil now and then.
- Cut back old stems in early spring before new growth starts.
Winter interest
Pure Joy is fully hardy in Michigan. Leave the deeper pink seed heads standing through winter; they look handsome with frost on them. Good drainage matters more than any mulch.
From bed to bouquet
The flower heads are good for cutting and dry well, adding a soft pink to dried lavender bundles in fall. It is also at home in rock gardens and containers.
Plug tray or bare root
Pure Joy is offered as a 72-cell plug tray for long edges and mass plantings, and as a bare root plant for direct planting. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Will Pure Joy spread or reseed?
It stays a compact mound and its flowers are sterile, so it does not seed around.
Why are my stonecrop stems flopping open?
Usually too much water or too rich a soil. Lean, dry ground keeps the mound tight.
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