Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Wineberry Delight Stonecrop: Dark Foliage for the Late-Summer Bed
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Wineberry Delight stonecrop is a sturdy upright sedum with thick, oval leaves in a dark wine purple. In late summer it is topped with domed flower heads 4 to 5 inches wide that open from rose buds to white flowers with salmon-pink centers, then deepen to rose red with age. From a few steps back, it reads as pale pink over near-black purple.
It shares lavender's love of sun and lean soil, and it picks up the color show just when the lavender is finishing.
Wineberry Delight at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Hylotelephium 'Wineberry Delight' |
| Foliage | Dark wine purple, thick and fleshy, 2 to 3 inches long |
| Flowers | White with salmon-pink centers aging to rose red; light pink overall |
| Size | 18 to 24 inches tall, 26 to 30 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts late August, peaks mid-September, long blooming |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 9 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Excellent for pollinators; rabbits leave it alone; moderately deer resistant |
The second act in a lavender bed
Most English lavender peaks in early to midsummer, and once the stems are cut for harvest the bed can look a little quiet. Wineberry Delight fills that gap. Its dark foliage gives contrast all season against silver lavender leaves, and its flowers arrive in late August and keep going into fall, when bees and butterflies are still looking for food.
The textures are a good match as well. Lavender is fine and needle-leaved; this sedum is broad, fleshy and bold. Set it in the middle of a sunny border or in groups between lavender mounds, keeping enough space for air to move around both. The Companion Plant Planner helps you lay out the spacing.
Planting and care
- Soil: average to poor and well drained. It rots in wet, heavy ground.
- Feeding: none. Rich soil makes the stems stretch and flop.
- Water: through its first season, then only in long droughts. It is very drought tolerant once settled.
- Winter: leave the stems and seed heads standing for winter interest and cut them back in early spring as new growth appears. Drainage matters more than mulch.
It is generally trouble-free in a sunny, lean spot. Keep an eye out for aphids and sedum weevil, and for crown rot if the soil stays wet.
Cutting and drying
The flower heads are rated good for both cutting and drying. Cut stems when the domes are colored, or let them age on the plant to rose red and dry them for fall arrangements with dried lavender bundles.
Plug tray or bare root
Wineberry Delight is offered as a 72-cell plug tray for growers and larger plantings, and as a bare root plant for planting straight into the garden. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Will it flop open like older stonecrops?
Its stems are sturdy and stay upright through the season in lean, sunny ground. Flopping usually means the soil is too rich or too wet.
When does it look its best?
The dark foliage looks good from spring on, and the flowers peak around mid-September.
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