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To decorate alpine hills, flower bed borders and slopes, many gardeners use false sedum (Sedum spurium). The creeping succulent has gained popularity for its spectacular appearance and ease of care. Despite the fact that the natural habitat of the plant is considered to be the mountain slopes of the Caucasus and subalpine meadows, today sedum grows in more northern areas and has established itself as a frost-resistant species.
Description of false sedum
Sedum is a herbaceous perennial plant of the Crassulaceae family, with a creeping rhizome and highly branched fibrous roots. Its height is from 5 cm to 25 cm. The stems of false sedum are located on the ground or slightly raised above it. On short (up to 6 cm) vegetative shoots the leaves are crowded, on longer (up to 25 cm) fertile stems, the foliage is pubescent and rough.
The leaves of the sedum are fleshy, rich green in color, opposite, 3 cm long.The shape of the plate is ovoid, with a blunt wedge-shaped end and a serrated edge in the upper part. Depending on the type of sedum, the inflorescences are unevenly branched or in the form of umbrella shields.
A distinctive feature of false sedum is the absence of leaves around the inflorescences. The diameter of the flowers is 1.5 cm. Their petals are pink or red, collected in a corolla.
Sedum forms straight, striped, woody fruits 1 mm long, united in 5 pieces. The seeds are small and numerous.
Varieties of false sedum
The plant looks decorative, even if it does not bloom. It is used not only to decorate the landscape, but also in folk medicine. Several varieties of false sedum are considered the most popular.
Sedum false Blush
False sedum "Blush" (Sedum spurium coccineum) is a perennial plant. During the growing season, its creeping shoots form a very dense cushion of leaves and inflorescences.
The leaves of the sedum “Rumyanets” are obversely heart-shaped. Their color changes from rich green to a light shade of red. The inflorescences are purple, umbrella-shaped.
False sedum variety “Rumyanets” is undemanding to soil composition and can grow on any soil, but feels especially comfortable on a sandy substrate with a low lime content.
Sedum false "Blush" blooms for about 2 months, starting in mid-summer
Sedum false Purple
Sedum "Purple" (Sedum spurium purpurea) has another name - sedum grass. According to legends, the juice of this particular plant raised the sick Ilya Muromets, who had been sitting on the stove for 33 years, to his feet.
A perennial succulent from the Crassulaceae family grows in the form of a small bush consisting of straight stems covered with dense leaves.Purple umbrellas of inflorescences attract attention due to their splendor and impressive size. The roots of the plant are fibrous and spread shallowly across the soil surface. Strong stems up to 60 cm high grow in spring and die off in winter.
In the wild, sedum “Purple” is found throughout Eurasia, except the Arctic, and is widespread in China and Japan, and in northern America.
False sedum “Purple” has decorative and medicinal properties
Sedum false Raspberry
In adulthood, sedum reaches a height of 25 cm. Its dense, creeping shoots are covered with bright green leaves. One plant can spread 50 cm across the surface of the earth, tightly covering the soil with shoots and inflorescences. The leaf blades of false sedum "Crimson" (Sedum spurium Purple Carpet) are fleshy, measuring 4 by 6 cm.
Flowering lasts about 2 months - from June to August. During this period, pink or crimson petals of the inflorescences cover all the plants so that neither stems nor leaves are visible. Growing false sedum "Crimson" from seeds is not difficult, since after ripening, in the fall, they have a high germination rate.
False sedum “Crimson” is used to decorate terraces, gazebos, and as accent and background spots in the landscape
False sedum Voodoo
A thick, low carpet of slightly raised shoots forms the false sedum variety "Voodoo" (Sedum spurium Voodoo). Its stems, only 5 cm long, are fleshy, creeping, with adventitious roots.
The variety is common in countries with mild climates and grows on any soil, even in rocky crevices.
The roots of "Voodoo" are creeping and superficial. The leaves are glossy, burgundy, with toothed edges. The color of the leaf blades changes gradually - from bright (spring) to pale (summer).The flowers of the Voodoo sedum are bisexual, pink-crimson, up to 1.5 cm in diameter.
The succulent easily tolerates drought because it accumulates moisture in the leaf blades for future use. It is often used for decorating and landscaping turf roofs.
False sedum "Voodoo" is hardy and grows well both outdoors and at home.
Sedum false Tricolor
The variety of false sedum received its name for its triple color. The white stripe framing the green leaf blade turns pink in spring and autumn. The height of the perennial in adulthood is 15 cm. Medium-sized, succulent leaves densely cover them from bottom to top, forming a thick carpet.
False sedum "Tricolor" looks good on slides or in containers
The flowers of false sedum "Tricolor" (Sedum spurium Tricolor) are pale pink. The more sun there is on the site, the more abundantly the sedum blooms. Sometimes, in the general mass of foliage, monochromatic stems appear - green or purple. It is recommended to remove such shoots to preserve the purity of the variety.
Planting and caring for false sedum
Sedum is an unpretentious plant. He needs maximum attention only in the first weeks after landing in his permanent place. Timely weeding will allow young plants to take root, strengthen and begin the growing season.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
To preserve the decorative appearance and successful vegetation of the sedum, it is necessary to carefully select its planting location. It must meet a number of requirements:
- Be well lit.
- Location: away from trees and bushes.
- Free from fallen leaves.
False sedum will not die even in the shade without sunlight, but its stems will stretch out, the petals will become pale, unattractive, or flowering will stop altogether.Fallen leaves are removed so that they do not interfere with the emergence of sprouts.
Landing rules
The optimal time for planting sedum in the ground is from May to October. Its postponement to a later date reduces the likelihood of the formation of powerful roots and successful wintering of the plant.
To plant a succulent in the ground you need:
- Prepare a hole 20 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter.
- Mix humus with sand in a ratio of 1 to 3.
- Fill the prepared planting hole with the mixture.
- Plant plants.
- Water them.
- Lay the soil around the plants with fine gravel or crushed stone.
Subject to planting rules and careful care, sedum can grow in one place for at least 5 years.
Watering and fertilizing
Sedum is able to accumulate moisture in its leaf blades and stems. For this reason, it does not need frequent watering. In humid climates, you can do without it completely if the ambient temperature reaches +25 ⁰С. Excess water leads to root rot and plant death.
False sedum planted in fertile soil does not require fertilizing. There are enough nutrients in the soil, otherwise the plant will “get fat”, quickly begin to grow green mass, and stop blooming.
Sedum prefers to grow in sunny areas
If the soil is poor and rocky, it is fertilized twice per season - a month after planting and immediately before flowering. For this purpose, a special fertilizer for succulents is used, containing a complex of micro- and macroelements.
Reproduction of false sedum
In the wild, sedum seeds are spread everywhere by birds and small rodents. Gardeners propagate succulents in three ways.
Using cuttings
The method is one of the simplest and most reliable. A cutting 15 cm long is cut from the top of the shoot and planted in a pre-prepared moist, light substrate with a high sand content. The method is used from May to September.
Seeds
This technique is labor-intensive and is most often used by breeders. The best time for sowing is early spring.
Seeds are distributed evenly over the surface of the soil in boxes or pots. After moistening with a spray bottle, cover with film and harden at 5 ⁰C. After 3-4 days, the containers are transferred to a warm place (20 ⁰C). When seedlings appear, seedlings are planted in separate pots.
Dividing the bush
At the beginning of autumn or at the end of spring, an adult mother plant is carefully dug up and the rhizome is divided into several fragments. Each of them should contain full roots and 2-3 living buds. The cutting areas are disinfected and the plants are planted. As soon as new shoots appear, the old ones are cut out.
Diseases and pests of false sedum
The perennial rarely gets sick and is rarely damaged by pests, but under unfavorable weather conditions insects may appear on some parts of the plant:
- aphid – sucks the juice from the leaves, they become sticky and covered with specks;
- thrips – damage the tops of shoots;
- weevil – destroys young foliage and buds.
To exterminate them, both traditional methods (treatment with a soap solution) and modern drugs (insecticides) are used.
High air humidity or excessive watering often leads to the appearance of fungus on plants. All shoots on which dark spots are found are immediately cut off and disposed of.
Photo of false sedum
Among the wide variety of false sedum varieties, several of the most famous can be identified.
False sedum “Blush” is a light-loving plant, can stretch out in the shade
The inflorescences of Sedum "Purple" are green in spring, later turn pink and at the end of summer acquire a bright, rich color
In autumn, after flowering ends, the plant’s foliage falls off and the stems of the “Crimson” sedum become bare
Sedum "Voodoo" easily tolerates severe frosts, drought and poor nutrition
The colors of false sedum "Tricolor" become brighter the more sunlight the plant receives
Conclusion
By planting false sedum, you can change your landscape design beyond recognition. The succulent will become the highlight of the garden, all the elements of which will sparkle in a new way thanks to its unusual appearance, brightness and rapid growth.
