Blue Spruce Sedum

Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce'

Crassulaceae

• Full sun; tolerates part shade but becomes loose and floppy with reduced light
• 6-8 in. tall x 15-24 in. wide; low mat-forming; spreads steadily by stem rooting and offsets
• Drought Tolerance: Very high -- thrives in dry, poor soils; established plants tolerate months of drought with minimal watering
• Evergreen; foliage persists year-round, often developing salmon-pink to rosy bronze winter tints in cold
• Flower Color / Bloom Time: Bright yellow / late spring to midsummer (typically late May-July); blooms for 4-6 weeks
• Wildlife Benefits: Nectar and pollen source for native bees, honey bees, and butterflies during bloom; seeds attract small songbirds; dense mat provides overwintering insect microhabitat; deer and rabbit resistant

Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce' is a mat-forming, evergreen succulent groundcover native to rocky slopes, cliffs, and gravelly soils. In cultivation it is among the most adaptable and cold-hardy of all low-growing sedums, through zone 3 and tolerating temperatures to -30 F. In the garden, it thrives on benign neglect: full sun and sharp drainage are its primary requirements, and it prefers poor to average soil over rich, fertile conditions -- excess fertility produces weak, floppy growth rather than the tight, dense mat. It is heat, drought, and humidity-tolerant once established, making it exceptionally well suited to our hot, dry summers and its variable spring and fall moisture. The main requirement is sharp drainage: standing water and heavy, poorly drained clay soils will cause crown rot. Planting on a raised mound, in amended gritty soil, or in rock crevices ensures the drainage the plant requires. It spreads steadily by offsets and stem rooting to form a dense groundcover mat, making it effective at suppressing weeds in established plantings.

The foliage of 'Blue Spruce' is one of the most texturally distinctive of any low-growing perennial. Dense, needle-like, cylindrical leaves are arranged spirally along the sprawling stems in a pattern that closely mimics the branching of a blue spruce conifer. The foliage color is a cool, muted blue-gray-green through the growing season, shifting to soft salmon-pink or rosy bronze tints in winter cold. At six to eight inches tall, the plant spreads fifteen to twenty-four inches wide in an irregular, cascading mat. In late spring to early summer, small, bright yellow, star-shaped flowers rise from the foliage.  Blooms typically lasts four to six weeks. After bloom, the spent flower stems can be trimmed or left; they dry to a warm tan.

The flat-topped flower clusters are highly accessible to a wide range of pollinators, attracting native bees, honey bees, and butterflies -- particularly skippers and small hairstreaks. Bees are the primary pollinators. After bloom, the seed heads attract small songbirds that pick through the dry clusters for seed. The dense mat provides overwintering microhabitat for beneficial ground beetles and other insects. The plant is reliably deer and rabbit resistant due to its succulent, somewhat acidic leaf tissue. The genus Sedum has a long history of culinary and medicinal use in Europe: S. reflexum (under the name stone orpine or prick-madam) was historically used as a salad herb and pot green in France, Germany, and the Netherlands, where the slightly tart, succulent leaves were added to summer salads. It was also applied in folk medicine as a topical treatment for skin irritations and minor burns, uses shared across many Crassulaceae family members. 

Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce' is one of the most versatile xeriscape groundcovers available for Spokane gardens, earning its place in nearly any full-sun, dry application: rock gardens and crevice plantings, hell strips and parking strips, dry slopes and embankments requiring erosion stabilization, container combinations, and between stepping stones and pavers where it tolerates occasional light foot traffic. Its cascading habit makes it outstanding spilling over rock walls, raised bed edges, and retaining walls. In mass plantings, the uniform blue-gray carpet creates a cooling visual effect. In mixed xeriscape compositions, 'Blue Spruce' pairs naturally with Sempervivum species (hens and chicks) for textural contrast; Delosperma cooperi (hardy ice plant) for a summer-blooming color complement; Eriogonum umbellatum (sulfur flower buckwheat) for a taller native companion with yellow flowers echoing the sedum's own bloom; Penstemon species for vertical accent; and Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) or Helictotrichon sempervirens (blue oat grass) for blue-toned grass companions that complement the foliage color. For a foolproof, low-maintenance groundcover for difficult dry sites, Blue Spruce Sedum is among the most reliable options.