Sedum album, an outdoor mini succulent

Sedum album

Sedum album rockeryCredit: Frank Vincentz

Sedum album with flowersCredit: Manuel M.V.

Star-shaped flower of the White OrpinCredit: Frank Vincentz

Sedum album leavesCredit: Andreas Rockstein

Exposures: Sun, Half-shade
Hardiness (USDA): 4a (-34.4°C ≤ T° < -31.7°C)
Lifecycle: Perennial
Foliage: Evergreen

Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Orpin Sedum
Species: White orbit Sedum album

Other name:Sedum blanc

While sedum palmeri and sedum nussbaumerianum come from Central America, Sedum album is much less exotic. This Crassulacea is native to Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Hardy and undemanding, it thrives outdoors, in rock gardens or as ground cover.

How to recognize Sedum album?

Sedum album grows from 5 to 20 centimetres high. But this perennial succulent with a creeping or drooping habit can reach a spread of 50 centimetres.

Its evergreen foliage seems to be made of pearls. The alternate, ovoid leaves are barely five millimeters long, even when waterlogged. Blue-green, the leaf blades change color to crimson as autumn sets in.

In summer, Sedum album is adorned with white or pink flowers. Arranged in a corymb, they have six petals and secrete a nectar that is much appreciated by bees.

Foraging insects aren't the only ones to feed on Sedum album. The leaves are edible. You can eat them raw, in salads, or cooked. The plant is not toxic to humans or animals.

Our care tips

Sedum album can be grown both indoors and outdoors. But it's in the open air that the plant reveals all its colors.

Watering

Sedum album plants need copious watering when the soil is completely dry. To know if your plant is thirsty, look at it: when it lacks water, its leaves change appearance. They become hollow, wrinkled or point downwards.

Water with room-temperature water, preferably non-calcareous, until the substrate is saturated with water, then allow the plant to drain before replacing it. Don't forget to drain off any water stagnating at the bottom of the planter or saucer. It could rot the roots.

Misting

Sedum album grow in arid regions and do not like humidity. No need to spray them.

Repotting

Every year in the spring, repot your Sedum album to give it more space.

Pour a draining substrate into a perforated pot. You can use potting soil for cacti and succulents. You can also make your own growing medium by mixing equal parts potting soil for green plants and sand.

Plant your White orbit and fill in with substrate. Pack gently to avoid smothering the roots.

Planting

When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.

Sedum album enjoy the sun but don't like to have their roots immersed in water. Choose a bright spot with well-drained soil.

Dig a hole suitable for the size of the root ball. Plant your White orbit. Fill in with your garden soil.

To give the plant enough room to grow, space the plants 50 cm apart.

Taking cuttings

You can take cuttings all year round.

Locate a healthy stem. Take a section at least five centimetres long.

Remove the leaves from the lower half and leave to dry for 24 to 48 hours in the open air. When a healing wedge appears, your cutting is ready.

Transplant your cutting into a draining substrate, such as potting soil for cacti and succulents, or a mixture of houseplant potting soil and sand. Press in the leafless part, taking care not to bury the limbs.

If your mother plant is balding, plant your graft in the same pot to rejuvenate the plant.