Frosted Fire is a variegated form of Autumn Fire, with light green leaves edged in creamy yellow that brighten the border all season. It keeps the tight habit, thick leaves and bright rosy flower heads of its parent.
The heads form in summer and color up from late summer into fall. At 12 to 15 inches it is shorter than many autumn stonecrops, so it fits well toward the front of a sunny bed. Supplies are limited.
What it looks like
Dome-shaped flower heads 3 to 5 inches across made of tiny star-shaped florets in bright rose pink, sitting on sturdy stems. Leaves are fleshy, oval and toothed, 1.5 to 2.5 inches long, light green in the center with irregular creamy yellow margins. The plant is a dense, upright mound 12 to 15 inches tall and about 18 inches wide. At peak it looks like a cream-and-green variegated mound topped with 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
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Foliage: Light green with creamy yellow margins
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Growth habit: Dense, upright mound
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Mature size: 12–15 in tall × 18 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.