Plant of the Month: Autumn Joy Stonecrop
As summer turns into fall, you’ve probably started noticing that your garden is changing, too. Our plant of the month, Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’), is no exception to this change and it can really liven up the fall garden.
This sturdy perennial sedum has fresh green, succulent foliage that feels rubbery and smooth. Sitting atop the clumping foliage are big clusters of flowers. Blooms will start out green in early spring and open to pink and fade to bronze in fall and get darker as winter sets in. Many people like to keep the blooms on throughout winter for interest until spring, but they can be removed in late fall/early winter if you don’t like the look of them.
Autumn Joy Stonecrop gets to be about 18-24 inches tall and wide and is a moderate grower. It does best in partial to full sun with well-draining soil that’s allowed to dry out. You’ll want to water regularly during its first year to help establish a good root system but avoid too much moisture in the winter.
Along with making sure that it’s placed in well-draining soil, a helpful tip for keeping your Autumn Joy Stonecrop from flopping over is to prune it down to about half around the beginning of June. This will form a smaller plant but will ensure that the stems are sturdy and it will have a more upright, tight growth habit. Although you’ll have a bit smaller of a plant, you’ll have a great show in fall without any hassle! You can read more about pruning Autumn Joy Stonecrop here.
What’s your favorite fall transition plant? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!
Organized under Buds and Blooms, Fall Foliage, Low Maintenance Gardens, Plant of the Month, Water-wise Gardening. Labeled as Autumn Joy Sedum, autumn joy stonecrop, fall blooms, fall color plants, fall transition plants, how to fix flopping autumn joy sedum, how to fix flopping sedum, plant of the month.
