Spearleaf stonecrop
Sedum lanceolatum
Last reviewed: September 2026
Toxicity unknown
Spearleaf stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
2"–8" H × 6"–12" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
AK, AZ, CA, CO and 10 more states
Pollinators
native bees, butterflies, flies
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 459 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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Browse plants for this ecoregion
A low, mat-forming succulent with fleshy lance-shaped leaves in tight rosettes, topped in early summer by flat clusters of bright yellow star-shaped flowers on short stems. Leaves often flush red in sun and drought. Thrives on rocky slopes, gravel, and thin soils where little else grows, and asks for nothing once established.
How to care for Spearleaf stonecrop, by region
How to care for Spearleaf stonecrop where it is actually grown: year-round basics plus what to do each season, region by region, with the sources for each.
Care guidance last updated: September 2026
Southern Rockies (includes Denver, CO)
Year-round
Spearleaf stonecrop is a low succulent, up to about 6 inches tall in flower, that wants full sun and very little water once it is growing, which suits the dry, sunny edges of a Front Range bed.
- Give it full sun; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists sun as its light requirement.
- Its drought tolerance is rated high, so plant it where it will not share irrigation with thirstier plants.
- Expect yellow flowers across a long season; the Wildflower Center lists bloom from March through November.
- It stays under about 6 inches tall in flower, so use it at the front of a bed, between stepping stones, or in a rock garden.
- Stonecrops can spread by small plantlets that drop and root, so pull strays from paths once or twice a season.
Kept to a defined edge or rock garden, its tight low mat reads as an intentional groundcover, which keeps it HOA-friendly.
Sources: Sedum lanceolatum, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database, Sedum lanceolatum, Denver Botanic Gardens living collections record
Wasatch and Uinta Mountains (includes Salt Lake City, UT)
Year-round
Spearleaf stonecrop is a low succulent, up to about 6 inches tall in flower, that wants full sun and very little water once it is growing, which suits dry, sunny spots in a Wasatch Front yard.
- Give it full sun; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists sun as its light requirement.
- Its drought tolerance is rated high, so plant it where it will not share irrigation with thirstier plants.
- Expect yellow flowers across a long season; the Wildflower Center lists bloom from March through November.
- It stays under about 6 inches tall in flower, so use it at the front of a bed, between stepping stones, or in a rock garden.
- Stonecrops can spread by small plantlets that drop and root, so pull strays from paths once or twice a season.
Kept to a defined edge or rock garden, its tight low mat reads as an intentional groundcover, which keeps it HOA-friendly.
Sources: Sedum lanceolatum, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database, Sedum lanceolatum, Denver Botanic Gardens living collections record
In an HOA neighborhood
Spearleaf stonecrop is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 4 out of 5.
Works well in: rock garden, gravel bed, front border edge, between pavers, green roof, container.
Wildlife value
Host plant for Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus).
Its flowers draw small native bees and flies, and the plant is the larval host for the Rocky Mountain Parnassian butterfly, whose caterpillars feed on the leaves. A reliable nectar source on dry, exposed sites in early summer.
Common questions
- How much sun does Spearleaf stonecrop need?
- Spearleaf stonecrop grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Spearleaf stonecrop bloom?
- Spearleaf stonecrop blooms in June, July, and August.
- Where is Spearleaf stonecrop native?
- Spearleaf stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum) is native to AK, AZ, CA, CO and 10 more states, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What butterflies or moths does Spearleaf stonecrop host?
- Spearleaf stonecrop is a larval host plant for Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus).
- Is Spearleaf stonecrop HOA-friendly?
- Spearleaf stonecrop is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Spearleaf stonecrop? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.