Sedum growing stalks? Hi all, I received these last year from a cousin who broke them off his main plant for me. At the time they were in the cute little rosette form. I brought them into our sun porch over the winter, and they grew into these ugly looking stalks! All of the indoor ones did this. However, the few that I left outside stayed rosettes. My question is, what should I do with these? They don't look very healthy. I stuck them outside in a little rocky part of our garden, hoping they would be happier there (because some of them were rotting). Why did they grow into stalks instead of spreading rosettes? Appreciate any advice! :-)
That's Sedum glaucophyllum sending out flower stems. You will be getting white flowers in a month or so. After that the plants will form new rosettes. The plant is completely hardy in your area. You should keep it outdoors all year. Do not move it indoors....ever.
Re: Sedum growing stalks? Thanks Steve! I originally thought it was Hens 'n' Chicks because of the rosette form. I had no idea that sedum also took that shape -- until now, the only sedum with which I was familiar was the tall one with the big reddish heads that bloom during the fall (around here anyway). I will take your advice and leave these plants outdoors from now on. Since moving it to the rock bed yesterday, I would swear it's looking better already. I went out for a look at it late this afternoon and already some of the stems were more upright and it even looked like some of the brown discoloration was fading. I can see how this will be a much more attractive plant once it's healthy!
Sedum is a diverse genus that includes a wide variety of forms ranging from annuals to woody shrubs. Many species in the genus form rosettes like Sempervivum. The tall deciduous ones formerly in Sedum are now in the genus Hylotelephium, even though the horticultural trade has been reluctant to accept the name change.