Sedum SunSparkler® 'Firecracker'

Sedum SunSparkler® 'Firecracker': Burgundy Mat Built for Baking Edges

'Firecracker' has a short fuse and a long show. Burgundy-red leaves get darker as fall approaches, and hot pink flowers go off right on top. STAND BACK. THIS ONE SPARKS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sedum hybrid (also listed as Hylotelephium)
• Common Name: Stonecrop
• Series: SunSparkler®, from breeder Chris Hansen
• Height: 15 cm (6 in)
• Spread: 45 cm (18 in)
• Flowers: Hot pink, star-shaped flowers in clusters
• Bloom Time: Late summer to early fall (August to September)
• Foliage: Small, round, succulent leaves in burgundy red that deepen in colour as fall approaches

Where to Plant: Plant it along the front of a sunny border, as an edging, in rock gardens or in a sunny container, and in groups it works as a small groundcover. It's ideal for the hot edges of a driveway or patio where the soil dries out fast.

Companion Plants: Give 'Firecracker' a sunny, dry bed with lavender-blue pincushions, apricot hyssop and red hollyhocks. Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue' adds lavender-blue pincushions at 30 to 45 cm from May to October. Agastache 'Peachie Keen' brings apricot-peach spikes at 51 to 61 cm from July to September. Alcea 'Mars Magic' rises at the back to 150 to 180 cm with red hollyhocks in July and August. Helictotrichon 'Sapphire' adds a stiff steel-blue clump at 60 to 100 cm in flower.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun for the best colour. Give it well-drained soil, ideally sandy or gravelly. In clay, add grit or set it slightly higher than the surrounding soil, because winter wet does more damage than winter cold. Water regularly the first season, then only in long dry spells. No fertilizer needed. Cut back last year's dead stems in early spring. Divide in spring every few years if the centre gets sparse.

History: 'Firecracker' was bred by Christopher Hansen in Hudsonville, Michigan, from a 2009 cross between a low-growing and a taller hybrid, and was selected in September 2010. It is part of his SunSparkler® series.

Final Thoughts: Full sun, dry soil and zero fuss. Deer stay clear. LIGHT IT UP. NO MATCHES REQUIRED.