Autumn Joy is one of the most widely planted perennials for a reason. Flat buds form in summer, open deep rose pink in late summer and slowly age to warm bronze, giving months of changing color.
Its light green, fleshy leaves make a substantial clump that can fill in like a small shrub. Leave the flower heads up through winter for structure and bird food. It is very easy, drought tolerant and a magnet for bees and butterflies.
What it looks like
Broad, flat to domed flower heads 4 to 6 inches across made of hundreds of tiny star-shaped florets; they start pale green in summer, open deep rose pink in late summer and age to coppery bronze in fall. Heads sit on thick, upright stems. Leaves are fleshy, oval and toothed, 2 to 3 inches long, in light green, set densely along the stems. The plant is a substantial upright clump about 24 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. At peak it looks like a rounded green bush topped with wide rose-pink plates.
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: Deep rose pink aging to bronze
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Foliage: Light green
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Growth habit: Upright, substantial clump
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Mature size: 24 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.