Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’, also known as white stonecrop, is a popular, easy-care groundcover succulent. This mat-forming perennial creates a living carpet, bringing texture and color to various garden settings. It thrives in challenging conditions, offering year-round visual interest.
Understanding Sedum Album Coral Carpet
Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’ features small, rounded, succulent leaves. New growth emerges with a vibrant salmon-orange or coral hue, which then transitions to a bright green as the season progresses. During cooler temperatures, especially in fall and winter, the foliage develops rich reddish-bronze or crimson-red tones. This evergreen plant typically reaches a height of 2 to 6 inches, spreading out to cover an area of 12 to 24 inches wide. In early summer, tiny, star-shaped flowers, ranging from white to pale pink, bloom in clusters just above the foliage.
Growing and Caring for Coral Carpet Sedum
Coral Carpet Sedum thrives in full sun, ideally receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, which promotes the best growth and leaf color. It tolerates very light shade, especially in hotter regions. This succulent prefers well-drained soil, adapting well to sandy or gravelly conditions and even poor to moderately fertile soils. Good drainage is important, as the plant dislikes consistently wet environments.
Once established, Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’ is drought and heat tolerant, requiring infrequent, deep watering. Allow the soil to dry completely between waterings; overwatering can impair its growth and health. This plant is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9. Fertilization needs are minimal; a light application of all-purpose granular fertilizer in spring is sufficient for poorer soils, or every other year for richer soils.
Landscaping Uses for Coral Carpet Sedum
Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’ is a versatile plant for various landscaping applications. It is an excellent choice for creating a dense ground cover, effectively suppressing weeds and preventing soil erosion on slopes. This sedum is well-suited for rock gardens, where its distinctive foliage can cascade over stones. It performs well when planted between stepping stones or pavers, creating a soft, living pathway that can tolerate light foot traffic. Coral Carpet Sedum is also a popular option for green roofs and containers.
Propagating Coral Carpet Sedum
Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’ can be propagated through stem cuttings or division. Stem cuttings are taken by snipping a healthy stem section, typically 2 to 3 inches long, just below a leaf joint. Remove any leaves from the bottom inch. After allowing the cut end to callus for a few hours in a dry, shaded area, insert the cutting into well-draining soil. This method often results in new roots forming within two to three weeks.
Division is another effective method, best performed in early spring when new shoots appear. Carefully dig up the plant and divide the root ball into sections, ensuring each piece has roots and green growth. Replant these divisions immediately at the same depth as the original plant to prevent drying out. The plant’s natural tendency to root wherever stems touch the ground also allows for easy propagation by scattering pieces of the plant.