Wild Stonecrop

Year-round

Mountain stonecrop is a low, spreading succulent with small white star flowers in spring. It likes shade or part shade and soil that drains fast. It rarely needs watering and is happy in poor, rocky spots.

• Partial to full shade is best. It tolerates full sun.
• Needs well-drained soil. Avoid wet or poorly drained spots.
• Stays about 3 to 6 inches tall and spreads 6 to 12 inches.
• White star flowers open from April to June.
• Resistant to deer. Slugs and snails are the usual pests.

A tidy low edging plant for front beds. Trim stray bits that creep onto walks.

Fall

Little is needed in fall. Keep the bed clear of heavy leaf drops.

• Rake or blow fallen leaves off the mat.
• Do not fertilize.
• Water only during a long dry stretch.
• Divide or move pieces if the patch has outgrown its spot.

Winter

Winter is a quiet time for this low plant.

• No watering or feeding is needed.
• Avoid spots where water pools from snowmelt.
• Do not walk on the mat.
• Check it again in early spring for new growth.

Spring

Flowers open in Lancaster from April into early summer. This is the best time to plant or share pieces.

• Plant in shade or part shade in soil that drains well.
• Water new plants during the first few weeks only.
• Check for slugs and snails on damp nights.
• Do not mulch thick over the plant.

Summer

Summer humidity is the main risk here. Good drainage matters more than watering.

• Skip routine watering once it is rooted.
• Keep it out of soggy low spots and away from sprinklers.
• Southern blight is a listed disease. Remove any plants that collapse and rot.
• Pull weeds from the mat by hand.

Year-round

Woodland stonecrop is a tough small groundcover. It needs good drainage more than anything else.

• It adapts to deep shade through full sun and does best in part shade.
• Drainage matters. Avoid wet or poorly drained spots.
• It tolerates clay, sand and rocky soil and seldom needs water once established.
• Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart.
• Slugs and snails can nibble it. Southern blight can be an issue in warm, humid areas.

Fall

Fall is easy. Leave it be and keep the soil draining.

• Keep drainage good so water does not sit.
• Fallen leaves can root and make new plants.
• Division is another way to spread it.

Winter

Winter is quiet. Poor drainage is the main thing to avoid.

• Rated for USDA zones 3a to 9b, so Atlanta winters are well within range.
• Avoid wet or poorly drained soil.
• No special winter work is listed in the source.

Spring

Spring is bloom time, with tiny white star flowers.

• White star-like flowers open from April to June.
• It is easy to multiply by division or by rooting fallen leaves.
• Check for slugs and snails on fresh growth.

Summer

Do not overwater in the humid Atlanta summer. Dry is better than soggy.

• Once established it seldom needs watering.
• Avoid wet or poorly drained conditions.
• Watch for southern blight, a disease of herbaceous ornamentals, in warm wet weather.

Year-round

Mountain stonecrop is a low, mat-forming sedum only 3 to 6 inches tall that spreads 6 to 12 inches wide. It likes shade and fast drainage, which suits Chattanooga's limestone and rocky spots.

• Plant it in partial to full shade. It tolerates full sun if the soil drains.
• It tolerates clay, sand and poor rocky soil but not wet, poorly drained spots.
• It seldom needs watering and is listed as deer resistant.
• Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart and expect them to fill in as a mat.

A low, semi-evergreen mat works well along paths and bed edges.

Fall

Fall is calm. The mat stays green, and fall is a good time to plant more pieces in cooling soil.

• Pieces root easily, so tuck divisions into well-drained soil.
• Water new plantings once a week until the ground cools.
• Brush fallen leaves off the mat so it does not stay wet.
• Skip fertilizer.

Winter

NC State tags it semi-evergreen, with stems that die back in winter. It is hardy in zones 3 to 9, so Chattanooga winters are no problem.

• No watering is needed.
• Leave the dormant mat alone and trim brown stems in spring.
• Keep winter leaf piles off the mat.
• Drainage matters most in wet winter weather.

Spring

Spring is bloom time, April to June, with small white star-shaped flowers. This is also the best time to plant or divide.

• Plant or divide now, spacing pieces 6 to 12 inches apart.
• Water new plants lightly. Too much water rots them.
• Watch for slugs and snails during wet Chattanooga springs.
• Keep fallen leaves from smothering the mat.

Summer

Summer heat and humidity are fine for it as long as drainage is good. It tolerates drought and heat.

• Water only during long dry spells, and only when the soil is dry.
• Avoid overhead watering and soggy spots, which can cause rot.
• Give it afternoon shade in the hottest part of the day.
• Do not fertilize.