Midnight Velvet is a tall stonecrop with rich, dark purple leaves that color up from the moment they emerge in spring. In late summer, mauve buds cover the dome-shaped plant and open to rose-red flowers in early fall.
After bloom, dark red seed heads carry interest into winter and feed birds. Give it full sun for the darkest color; in too much shade the leaves turn greener. It is very drought tolerant and rabbits avoid it.
What it looks like
Thick, fleshy, oval leaves 2 to 3 inches long in rich dark purple, almost black in strong sun, with a soft matte sheen, densely arranged on sturdy stems. In late summer, broad clusters of mauve buds form, opening to domed heads 4 to 5 inches wide of tiny rose-red star-shaped flowers. The plant forms a domed clump 22 to 26 inches tall and 30 to 32 inches wide. At peak it looks like a dark purple dome capped with rose-red flower heads.
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: Rose red from mauve buds
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Foliage: Dark purple to near-black
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Growth habit: Domed clump
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Mature size: 22–26 in tall × 30–32 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.