Horticulture/Sedum

Sedums Biting stonecrop close 800.jpg Sedum Crassulaceae Perennials Insects Some species are toxic Sedum, commonly known as rockcress, is a genus in the family ../Crassulaceae/, members of which are broadly referred to as stonecrops. The genus consists of about 400 species of leafy succulents, found primarily, but not exclusively, throughout the northern hemisphere, varying from annual groundcovers to shrubs. Description The plants have water-storing leaves and a typical form of blossom with five petals, seldom four or six. There are typically twice as many stamens as petals. Growing conditions Well drained soils. Many sedums are extensively cultivated as garden plants, due to their interesting and attractive appearance and hardiness. The various species differ in their requirements; some are cold-hardy but do not tolerate heat, some require heat but do not tolerate cold. They are preferred over grass for green roofs, popular in Germany and some other countries. Species Well known European Sedums are ../Sedum acre/, ../Sedum album/, ../Sedum dasyphyllum/, ../Sedum reflexum/ (also known as ../Sedum rupestre/) and ../Sedum hispanicum/. Uses Sedum reflexum, known as "stone orpine" or "crooked yellow stonecrop", is occasionally used as a salad leaf or herb in Europe (and the United Kingdom) . It has a slightly astringent sour taste Sedum acre ("biting stonecrop") on the other hand contains high quantities of piperidine alkaloids (namely (+)-sedridine, (-)-sedamine, sedinone and isopelletierine) which give it a sharp, peppery and acrid taste and make it somewhat toxic. Depending on the amount consumed, irritations of the mucous membranes, cramps and paralysis, including respiratory paralysis may ensue. In ancient Greece, biting stonecrop was used to treat epilepsy and skin diseases, as well as to cause abortions. Maintenance Propagation Pests and diseases thumb|../Sedum acre/ thumb|../Sedum caeruleum/ ../Leaf Blotch/ Septoria sedi ../Crown Rot/ ../Pellicularia rolfsii/ ../Stem Rots/ Colletotrichum ../Phytophthora/ ../Pellicularia filamentosa/ ../Nematodes/ ../Meliodgyne incognita/ ../Aphids/ Melon Aphid: ../Aphis gossypii/ Green Peach Aphid: ../Myzus persicae/ ../Scales/ Greedy Scale: ../Hemiberlesia rapax/ ../Mealybugs/ ../Weevils/ Black Vine Weevil: ../Otiorhynchus sulcatus/ ../Caterpillars/ Variegated Fritilary: ../Euptoieta claudia/ ../Slugs and Snails/ Gallery References Britton Nathaniel Lord Nathaniel Lord Britton Addison Brown An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Volume 2 second edition 1913 Dover Publications, inc. 207-210 Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block Anna Anisko, illustrator The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual 2000 Morris Arboretum, University of Pennsylvania Press 366-368 Christopher Brickell and Judith D. Zuk The American Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants 1997 DK Publishing 948-951 Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada 1976 Cornell University Press 1023-1030 Pirone Pascal P. Diseases & Pests of Ornamental Plants Fifth Edition 1978 John Wiley & Sons, New York 483-484 Cranshaw Whitney Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs 2004 Princeton University Press 620