Sedum kamtschaticum 'Variegatum'

Sedum kamtschaticum 'Variegatum': Cream-Edged Leaves, Orange-Gold Stars

'Variegatum' put on a crisp cream trim and suddenly thinks it's the fancy cousin. Green scalloped leaves with white edges, a pink blush when it's cool, and orange-yellow flowers. DRESSED UP FOR NO REASON AT ALL.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sedum kamtschaticum 'Variegatum' (also listed as Phedimus kamtschaticus)
• Common Name: Variegated Russian Stonecrop
• Height: 15–20 cm (6–8 in)
• Spread: 30–60 cm (12–24 in)
• Flowers: Orange-yellow, star-shaped flowers in flat clusters
• Bloom Time: Early to late summer (June to August)
• Foliage: Scalloped green leaves with creamy white edges, often tinged pink in cool weather
• Features: Rabbit resistant

Where to Plant: Use it to edge a sunny bed or path, fill a rock garden, cover a dry slope or spill out of a container. The cream-edged leaves light up the front of a border even when the plant isn't in flower. They stand out especially well against dark mulch or stone.

Companion Plants: Amsonia 'Storm Cloud' grows to 61 to 76 cm with blue star flowers in May and June, a cool lead-in to the yellow stonecrop. Eupatorium 'Baby Joe' adds pink domes at 70 to 75 cm from July to September. Geranium maculatum brings lavender flowers at 45 to 60 cm in May and June. The cream-edged sedum leaves stay neat at the front all season, and every plant here grows in full sun or partial sun.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in well-drained soil. Sandy, gravelly or average soil all work; wet clay doesn't. In heavy soil, add grit or plant on a slope. Water through the first season, then only during long dry spells. In early spring, trim off old stems and spent flower heads before new growth starts. If an all-green shoot ever appears, pinch it out. Divide in spring or fall to share it or to refresh an older clump.

History: The species is named for the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East and grows wild across eastern Russia, northern China, Korea and Japan. 'Variegatum' is a long-grown, cream-edged form of this tough rock-garden classic, which botanists now often place in the genus Phedimus.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbits ignore it, bees and butterflies don't. Plant it along a sunny path and let it show off. CLASSY ON A BUDGET.