Lemonjade breaks from the usual pink of autumn stonecrops with big 5 to 7 inch heads of bright citron-yellow flowers that cover the plant in early fall. As cold weather arrives, the seed heads take on rosy peach tones.
Its compact, stocky habit holds together and does not split open at bloom time like many older sedums. The gray-green, toothed leaves stay clean all season. It is very drought tolerant and a strong late-season food source for pollinators.
What it looks like
Large, domed flower heads 5 to 7 inches across made of many tiny star-shaped florets in bright citron yellow, covering the top of the plant; in late fall the seed heads turn rosy peach. Leaves are fleshy, oval and toothed, 2 to 3 inches long, in gray-green. The plant is a compact, stocky, upright mound 16 to 18 inches tall and 26 to 28 inches wide. At peak it looks like a wide gray-green mound capped with bright yellow 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 citron yellow
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Foliage: Gray-green
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Growth habit: Compact, stocky, upright mound
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Mature size: 16–18 in tall × 26–28 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: full sun
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Bloom start: Early-September
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Peak bloom: Mid-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.