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Sedum album - L.

Common Name Small Houseleek, White stonecrop, Sedum, Stonecrop
Family Crassulaceae
USDA hardiness 6-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Rocks, walls, cobbled paths etc, in dry sunny situations on acid or calcareous soils[4, 17].
Range Europe. Long naturalized in Britain.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Full sun
Sedum album Small Houseleek, White stonecrop, Sedum, Stonecrop


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:270_Sedum_album.jpg
Sedum album Small Houseleek, White stonecrop, Sedum, Stonecrop
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ies

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer. Form: Spreading or horizontal.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Sedum album is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

S. athoum. S. balticum. S. turgidum.

Habitats

 Ground Cover; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses:

Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 46, 52, 100]. Usually eaten as a pickle[4], though it can also be added to salads or cooked with other leafy vegetables[244].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antiinflammatory  Poultice

The leaves and stems are applied externally as a poultice to inflammations and are especially recommended for treating painful haemorrhoids[4, 244].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

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FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

Agroforestry Uses: The plant spreads aggressively and can be used for ground cover in a sunny position amongst plants tall enough not to be overrun by it. It is best planted about 45cm apart each way[208 ]. Strong growing bulbs such as some lilies will grow happily through this ground cover[K ]. The plant can grow in very low moisture levels and has been used as a green covering on roofs[372 ]. Green roofs are incorporated into the structure of the building, providing habitats for wildlife as well as insulating the building and helping to improve the environmen.t The subspecies minima and the cultivars 'Athorum' and 'Coral Carpet' have been specifically mentioned in this respect.

Special Uses

Food Forest  Ground cover

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Alpine garden, Border, Container, Ground cover, Rock garden, Specimen. A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils[188] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil[200]. Established plants are drought tolerant[190, 200], they grow well in dry soils and succeed on a wall[190]. Requires a sunny position[188]. Plants spread rapidly and aggressively at the roots[190]. If clearing the plant from an area it is quite important to try and remove every part of the plant since even a leaf or a small part of the stem, if left on the ground, can form roots and develop into a new plant[200]. This species has white flowers. All members of this genus are said to have edible leaves, though those species that have yellow flowers can cause stomach upsets if they are eaten in quantity[62, 85]. Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]. Special Features: Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Invasive. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. An evergreen. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons [1-2].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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The PFAF Bookshop

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Propagation

Seed - surface sow in spring in well-drained soil in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If sufficient growth is made, it is possible to plant them out during the summer, otherwise keep them in a cold-frame or greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year[K]. Division is very easy and can be carried out at almost any time in the growing season, though is probably best done in spring or early summer. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

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Sedum acreCommon Stonecrop, Goldmoss stonecrop, Gold Moss SedumPerennial0.1 4-9 FLMHNDM123
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Sedum lanceolatumSpearleaf Stonecrop, Subalpine stonecropPerennial0.2 5-9  LMHNDM11 
Sedum lineareNeedle stonecropPerennial0.3 6-9  LMHNDM11 
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Sedum oreganumOregon stonecropPerennial0.2 5-9  LMHNDM102
Sedum rupestreCrooked Yellow StonecropPerennial0.1 6-9  LMHSNDM102
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Sedum spathulifoliumBroadleaf Stonecrop, Purdy's stonecrop, Yosemite stonecrop, Stonecrop, Blood Leaf SedumPerennial0.1 6-10 MLMHSNDM113
Sedum spectabileIce PlantPerennial0.4 5-9  LMHNDM213
Sedum spuriumCaucasian StonecropPerennial0.2 6-9  LMHNDM103
Sedum stenopetalumWormleaf StonecropPerennial0.2 5-9  LMHNDM11 
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

L.

Botanical References

17200

Links / References

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Readers comment

   Dec 25 2011 12:00AM

These are also very easy to propagate from stem or leaf cuttings. Simply cut the stem into two inch sections, remove leaves from lower inch of cutting, push stem into well drained potting soil. The removed leaves can either be laid down on potting soil, or the ends that were removed from the stem pushed down slightly into the potting soil. Keep your cuttings in bright but not direct sunlight, and water when soil dries. Too much water and they will rot. If you are in the USA I may have starter plants or cuttings I can trade with you. [email protected]

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