Stonecrop 'Cape Blanco'

Sun

Full sun to light partial shade; provide some afternoon shade in hot inland gardens.

Water

Low once established. Water during establishment and prolonged dry spells, allowing the soil to dry between waterings; keep especially dry in winter.

Soil

Lean, gritty or sandy soil with excellent drainage. Avoid heavy clay, rich compost and sites that remain wet in winter.

Height

0.25-0.5 ft (0.08-0.15 m), including flowers

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m)

Flowers

Clusters of small, star-shaped yellow flowers in late spring to early summer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves in tight rosettes, covered with a silvery-white waxy bloom; pink or purple tones may develop in cold weather or strong sun.

Growth

Moderate; stems root as they spread.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.4 ft (0.12 m)

   full size

About 6 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the US and Canada

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant with the crown above surrounding soil level in a sharply drained position.
• Water new plants when the root zone dries; established mats need little supplementary water.
• Use grit or fine gravel around the crowns rather than moisture-holding organic mulch.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich conditions encourage loose growth.
• Lift and replant healthy rooted sections in spring if the centre becomes bare.

Pruning. Snip off spent flower stems after flowering without cutting into the rosettes. In spring, remove dead or rotten growth and trim spreading stems where they overrun neighbouring plants.

Spring

Plant or divide once the soil is workable, choosing a sunny site with sharp drainage.

Late spring

Check newly planted rosettes for drying roots and water only when needed.

Early summer

Leave flowers for visiting insects, then remove faded flower stems if desired.

Summer

Take short stem cuttings or detach rooted rosettes to start new patches.

Autumn

Clear fallen leaves from the mat so they do not trap moisture.

Winter

Check container drainage and move pots out of persistent rain if the compost stays wet.

• Tuck into rock-garden crevices, where the pale rosettes contrast with dark stone.
• Plant along sunny gravel-path edges, away from foot traffic.
• Use in shallow troughs with houseleeks and other small, hardy succulents.
• Let it trail over a low retaining wall beside creeping thyme or sea thrift.

Garden styles it suits: Alpine rock garden, Dry gravel garden, Coastal, Desert / xeriscape, Low-maintenance and Small-space.

Plant it with: Houseleeks, Creeping thyme, Sea thrift, Rock pinks and Dalmatian bellflower.

Wildlife: The open yellow flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other small insects.

• Root or crown rot in wet soil: improve drainage, reduce watering and replant healthy tips in fresh gritty soil.
• Vine weevil larvae in containers: inspect roots if plants loosen or collapse, remove affected compost and use an appropriate biological control where available.
• Slugs and snails damaging young rosettes: remove hiding places and use hand-picking or locally approved controls.
• Sparse growth in shade: move to a brighter position, while retaining afternoon shade in very hot climates.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people. No part is recognised as a serious poisoning hazard, but it is not a food plant and eating it may cause digestive upset.

• Broad-leaved stonecrop 'Purpureum' (Sedum spathulifolium 'Purpureum')

  It has similar spoon-shaped rosettes but stronger reddish-purple foliage rather than the conspicuous silvery-white coating of 'Cape Blanco'.

• White stonecrop (Sedum album)

  Its leaves are small and rounded to cylindrical rather than broad and spoon-shaped, and its flowers are white rather than yellow.

The species name spathulifolium means spoon-leaved, referring to the broad, rounded leaf tips and narrower bases.

Propagation. Divide rooted sections in spring or take short, non-flowering stem cuttings in spring or summer. Let cut ends dry briefly before inserting them into gritty compost; keep barely moist until rooted. Vegetative propagation preserves the cultivar's silver foliage.

Accepted botanical name

Sedum spathulifolium

In the US and Canada

Native in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.