Practical
Plants

Sedum stenopetalum

Wormleaf Stonecrop

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Sedum
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Height
0.15 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

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.

Although not poisonous, if large quantities of this plant are eaten it can cause a stomach upset[6][8].

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. Best used when young[8].

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

An infusion of the whole plant has been used in the treatment of venereal diseases[5].

Product or use
VD

Environment

Range
Western N. America - South Dakota to Alberta, Nebraska, Oregon and California.
Habitat
Open rocky slopes and bluffs, rock crevices, in gravel and talus, also in grassland and sagebrush desert, usually in well-drained very dry places and often in ponderosa pine forests[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

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. Bulbils harvested in late summer and planted out immediately.

Cultivation

Succeeds in most soils[1] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[2], they grow well in dry soils and can be grown on a wall[2]. Plants are viviparous, producing bulbils in their leaf axils at flowering time[7][2]. 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[6][8]. Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[3].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

    ↩

  4. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  5. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  8. 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↩3

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