Tall Sedum

The orpine is fully hardy. In the bed you do not need to do anything special. Leave the dried stems standing over winter: they protect the crown from wet, look lovely in hoar frost and give insects shelter; only cut them back to ground level in spring as growth starts. In small pots, place the plant in a sheltered spot against a house wall and on an insulating base, as the soil would otherwise freeze through.

Cuttings (easiest method): In spring, when the shoots are just starting to stretch, cut tip cuttings about 10 to 15 cm long directly below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves and let the cut end dry for a day or two before you insert the cutting into free-draining, poor potting compost. If you insert it slightly at an angle, it usually roots along its whole buried length. Keep the soil evenly, lightly moist; after a few weeks it has taken hold. Alternatively, in summer you can pull off (not cut) individual strong leaves, let them dry briefly and lay them flat on moist soil. Little daughter plants gradually form at the break.

Division (rejuvenation and propagation): Lift the perennial in early spring, as soon as the first shoots appear, with a spade. Divide the rootstock with a sharp spade or knife into two to four sections, each piece having at least two green shoot buds and intact roots. Replant the pieces immediately so they do not dry out, and water well. Division also rejuvenates older clumps that have gone bare in the middle.

Sowing: You can sow ripe seed outdoors directly in autumn. Frost and winter damp take care of the necessary cold stimulation by themselves. Sedum telephium is a light germinator: only press the seed down, do not cover it with soil. The seedlings germinate in spring at cool temperatures (about 5 to 15 °C), often unevenly over several weeks. Sow the freshest seed possible, as it quickly loses viability. Note: plants grown from seed do not come true to variety. For true-to-variety plants, use cuttings or division.