Sedum ‘Plum Dazzled’

Sedum 'Plum Dazzled' (Sedum 'Plum Dazzled') is a mounding succulent groundcover grown for plum purple foliage that holds its colour right through the season. It spreads to about 450mm across and only 200mm high, forming a low dome that finishes the year with dense clusters of pink flowers in autumn. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and content in poor soil.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The deep plum purple foliage carries the plant from spring to the first cold snap.
• Genuinely frost hardy. Unlike most succulents this one takes real cold, which makes it a rare option for cool temperate and inland gardens.
• It stays low and neat. A 200mm high mound spreading to 450mm, with no runners and no self seeding to chase.
• Autumn flowers when they count. Clusters of pink flowers arrive late in the season and pull in bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Groundcover. Plant 35cm apart for low continuous cover. The mounds meet in the second season and hold together without climbing over each other or needing edging.

Rockeries and gravel gardens. Sharp drainage and reflected heat are exactly what it wants, and the purple foliage reads strongly against grey stone.

Borders, edging and pots. Along a path edge use the same 35cm spacing. In a pot it suits a wide shallow bowl in a free draining mix, where the mound can spill over the rim.

Growing Sedum 'Plum Dazzled' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and this is not negotiable: in shade the foliage reverts towards green and the mound opens out. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi arid gardens. It is not a plant for humid subtropical or tropical gardens, where summer humidity brings on rot.

Soil. Free draining and unimproved. Sandy, gravelly and rocky ground all work. On clay, raise the bed or plant on a mound and work coarse grit through the backfill.

Water and feed. Water it in well and keep it going through the first summer, then leave it alone except in a long dry spell. Fertiliser is largely counterproductive: a rich diet gives soft floppy growth and washed out colour.

Pruning and winter. Cut the spent flower heads off in late autumn, or leave them for winter structure. In cold districts the plant dies back hard and can look finished. It is not: new shoots push from the crown once the soil warms.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is sold as tube stock, which is the sensible way to buy it. Groundcover is a numbers game, and tube plants let you cover ground at 35cm spacing without a large outlay. Each arrives small, usually a rosette of stems 80mm to 150mm high.

Succulent tube stock travels very well, since the leaves carry their own water. Plant it out within a week of arrival and expect the mound to reach useful size in its second season. A plant arriving in the colder months may look cut back and dormant, which is normal. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare options across our groundcover range
• Browse the wider succulent collection
• See other frost hardy plants for cold gardens
• Read about groundcover options for between steppers

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty five centimetres apart, in a staggered grid. That matches its 450mm mature spread and gives continuous cover by the second season.

Will it grow in a humid subtropical or tropical garden?

We do not recommend it. This sedum is rated for cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid climates. Humid summers bring on stem and crown rot, and drainage alone does not solve that.

Why has the purple foliage turned green?

Too little light, or too much fertiliser. Full sun and lean soil are what produce the plum colour. Move it to an open sunny position and stop feeding.