Autumn Fire is a close relative of the familiar Autumn Joy, selected for a tighter habit, thicker leaves and brighter rose-colored flowers. Big flower heads form in summer and color up from late summer into fall.
The sturdy clump can stand in for a small shrub in a sunny bed. Leave the dried heads over winter for structure and to feed birds. It is tough, drought tolerant and loved by bees and butterflies.
What it looks like
Large, dome-shaped flower heads 4 to 6 inches across made of hundreds of tiny star-shaped florets, opening bright rose pink and deepening to rusty red as fall goes on. The heads sit on thick, sturdy, upright stems. Leaves are fleshy, oval, toothed and gray-green to mid-green, 2 to 3 inches long, packed densely along the stems. The plant is a tight, upright clump 24 to 30 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. At peak it looks like a sturdy green shrub crowned with broad rosy domes.
Growing it with lavender
Upright sedum loves the same full sun and lean, well-drained soil as lavender, and its broad, fleshy leaves and late summer flower heads add contrast in texture and carry color after the lavender harvest.
Care
Plant in full sun in average to poor, well-drained soil; it is very drought tolerant once established and rots in wet, heavy ground. Hardy in zones 3-9; leave the stems standing for winter interest and cut them back in early spring as new growth appears. Avoid rich soil, which makes stems flop.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Hylotelephium
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Flower color: Bright rose pink aging to rusty red
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Foliage: Gray-green to mid-green
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Growth habit: Tight, upright clump
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Mature size: 24–30 in tall × 18–24 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Late-August
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Peak bloom: Late-September
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Bloom pattern: Long Blooming
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Deer resistance: Moderately resistant
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Pollinator value: Excellent
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.