Sedum SunSparkler® 'Wildfire'

Sedum SunSparkler® 'Wildfire': Red-Hot Leaves From Spring On

'Wildfire' looks like somebody set the rock garden ablaze, then added pink piping for style. Shiny cherry-red leaves edged in pink, with deep pink flowers on top. SMOKIN' AND IT KNOWS IT.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sedum hybrid (sometimes listed as Hylotelephium)
• Common Name: Stonecrop
• Series: SunSparkler®
• Height: 10–15 cm (4–6 in)
• Spread: 35–45 cm (14–18 in)
• Flowers: Starry, deep pink flowers in clusters held just above the leaves
• Bloom Time: Late summer to early fall (August to September)
• Foliage: Shiny, thumbnail-sized, cherry-red succulent leaves with pink variegated edges

Where to Plant: It makes a bright, low mound at the front of a sunny border, along a path, or spilling over the edge of a rock garden or container. Give it sun and lean soil. Its foliage brings colour from spring onward, so it earns its spot long before it blooms.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Wildfire' at the front of a sunny, dry bed with lilac globes, pink iris and rose yarrow. Achillea 'Saucy Seduction' adds rose-pink heads at 50 to 65 cm from June to September. Iris 'Pink Attraction' opens ruffled light pink bearded iris at 70 to 80 cm in June. Allium 'Gladiator' brings lilac-purple globes at 90 to 120 cm in May and June. Eragrostis spectabilis adds a pink-purple haze at 30 to 60 cm from July to September.

Plant Care: Give it full sun and well-drained soil. It does well in average, sandy or gravelly ground. Avoid spots where water sits, especially heavy clay that stays wet through winter. Water through the first growing season so the roots settle in. Once established, it handles dry spells on its own. Extra fertilizer isn't needed. Leave the flower heads over winter or snip them off once they fade. Clean up old stems in early spring as new growth starts. Divide in spring every few years if the centre opens up.

History: 'Wildfire' was bred by Chris Hansen as part of the SunSparkler® series of low, colourful sedums. It is a sport of SunSparkler® 'Firecracker', meaning it arose as a naturally occurring branch with different colouring that was then propagated on its own.

Final Thoughts: Full sun, dry soil and deer that keep their distance. NO EXTINGUISHER NEEDED. JUST ENJOY THE BURN.