Sedum VERSADENSE

Sedum VERSADENSE - Chontal stonecrop, Sedum versadense, Sedum chontalense, Stonecrop.

Sedum is a genus of low-growing succulents in the Crassulaceae family with thick, fleshy leaves, succulent stems, and star-shaped inflorescences. The genus includes more than 400 annual and perennial species that are undemanding in care and capable of spreading rapidly, native primarily to the Northern Hemisphere and varying widely in shape and size. Most species in their natural environment grow on poor soils of dry rocky or sandy steppes and dunes.

Sedums form attractive dense bushes or ground-hugging "carpets" of green, bluish, or bronze-red leaves. The leaves of evergreen species take on a reddish hue in winter. On the stem, fleshy leaf blades of varying sizes and arrangements serve as water reservoirs and help the plant survive periods of drought. Some species bloom in autumn with star-shaped, typically five-petaled, white, yellow, pink, or purple flowers that change color during the flowering period.

Chontal stonecrop is a succulent groundcover herbaceous perennial with pubescent, yellow-green, small, fleshy leaves about 1 cm (0.4 in) long, growing on decumbent, rooting, actively branching stems from 5 to 15 cm (2-6 in) long. It grows in Mexico on mountain slopes at an altitude of about 1,800 m (5,900 ft).

Seeds require preliminary stratification: sowing is carried out superficially in a container with well-drained and fertile soil, moistened with a spray bottle, covered with glass or film, and placed in a refrigerator at a temperature of 5-7 °C (41-45 °F). Sowing is kept under these conditions for 14 days, then moved to room conditions with good lighting, where it requires humidity control and ventilation. Seedlings emerge in 15-30 days at a temperature of 18-20 °C (64-68 °F). Pricking out is performed after the appearance of the first two true leaves.

Special notes: The seeds are extremely tiny!

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Most sedums prefer direct sunlight, but can also tolerate light shade. They grow readily in well-drained poor to moderately fertile soil. They require watering only as the soil dries out and do not tolerate frequent overwatering or standing water. To control spread, the plant can be divided in spring or autumn. Most species are tolerant of low temperatures. Covering the growth for the winter period should be done in late November to early December if natural snow cover is absent. In early spring after frosts have ended, dead shoots and dry branches that did not survive the winter but provided extra protection against the cold are removed. There is no need for formative pruning; in case of excessive spreading, clump division and transplanting to another location are carried out. Representatives of the genus do not like overly fertile soil and do not require fertilizing. However, in early spring a small amount of universal garden plant fertilizer can be applied.