Practical
Plants

Sedum rupestre

Crooked Yellow Stonecrop

a perennial evergreen member of the Sedum genus in the family Crassulaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Sedum
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although not poisonous, if large quantities of this plant are eaten it can cause a stomach upset[11][13].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked[9][10][1][3]. A slightly astringent sour taste makes this plant a useful addition to a green tossed salad and it can also be added to soups or used as a vegetable[14][3]. Used in salads, it has a fine relish[5].

Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A good ground cover plant for a sunny position[4]. The somewhat open growth habit makes it suitable for growing with larger bulbs such as some lilies[K].

Ecology and functions

Ground cover

Environment

Range
C. W. and S. Europe. Naturalized in Britain[2].
Habitat
Walls, shingle and warm grassy places on sandy soils[9][14]. Avoids acid soils.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in most soils[4] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil[6]. Requires a sunny position[4][6]. The plant flowers best when grown in a sunny position, though it also succeeds in semi-shade[7]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[6], they grow well in dry soils and can also be grown in a crevice on a wall[6][7]. This species is hardy to about -15°c[6]. A mat forming plant, it spreads rapidly and it is not suitable for the rockery[12]. All members of this genus are said to have edible leaves, though those species, such as this one, that have yellow flowers can cause stomach upsets if they are eaten in quantity[11][13]. Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[8].

References

  1. Johnson. C. P. The Useful Plants of Great Britain.

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  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  4. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-00-219220-0

    ↩1↩2

  8. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  9. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  10. Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round. Hamlyn 1980-00-00

    ↩

  11. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩1↩2

  12. Evans. R. L. Handbook of Cultivated Sedums. Science Reviews 1983-00-00

    ↩

  13. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩1↩2

  14. Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-600-37216-2

    ↩1↩2

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