Matrona Stonecrop
Sedum ‘Matrona’

Sedum is one of the most diverse genera in the world of perennials, comprising many of our favorite sun-loving garden staples, ranging from trailing groundcovers and alpines to tall border gems. Among the latter, the fall-blooming showy stonecrops are in a class unto themselves among the truly elite. At one time dominated by the hugely popular cultivar ‘Autumn Joy’, there are now numerous varieties in various foliage and flower shapes. Some of these have become instant classics, while the jury is still out on others.

But one cultivar has risen to the fore, even threatening to supersede Autumn Joy as the queen of these late bloomers. Matrona has demonstrated itself to be a phenomenal addition to the northern palette, both in terms of its garden versatility and its durability. It features thick, large, succulent green foliage along distinctive brick red stems, the hallmark of this wonderful plant. Towards mid-summer, flat-topped clusters of greenish-white buds open to white flowers which turn a rich, mellow pink as summer descends into fall. The flower heads hold into the fall frosts, only finally succumbing to the heaviest freezes as winter settles in.

While this late-summer performer will stand alone as an effective flowery clump in the garden border, it is utilized to its very best when massed. This can be as simple as three plants grouped together in a garden composition, or as extensive as a vast groundcover planting covering dozens of square feet. In fact, showy stonecrop makes one of the most impressive mid-sized groundcovers, as the individual clumps rapidly grow into one another to produce an ocean of red stems and pink flowers from midsummer through fall.

All showy stonecrops are rather particular about their growing conditions; thankfully, these are among the worst conditions that gardeners face, and among the easiest to recreate. They do best  in nutritionally poor soils with excellent drainage - this can be achieved by planting them in a raised garden bed with primarily sandy or gravelly soils of low organic content. They are an excellent xeriscape plant, tolerating prolonged periods of drought, and will rot in excessively moist soils. And they need lots and lots of sunlight - the more, the better.

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