How to Care for Golden Sedum

Sedum is a genus of succulents that come with different growth patterns. They are also called stonecrops. All are easy-care plants that can be grown outdoors or inside and have the classic puffy leaves where the drought-resistant plants store water.

Golden sedum is a particularly attractive type of stonecrop, with the tough, self-sufficient character typical of succulents. Its foliage turns exquisite colors in the sun.

The golden sedum (​Sedum nussbaumerianum​ syn. ​Sedum adolphi​) has everything a plant needs to please. It is extremely easy-care, whether grown as a houseplant or a landscape plant, tolerating drought, neglect, heat, and cold.

These are low-growing, upright plants native to Mexico, with appealing rosettes of thick, pointed leaves. The charm of the plant is the hue of the foliage. Even in shady areas, it has a tint of yellow, but this becomes dramatic in full sun when the succulent turns a beautiful shade of rosy gold or even coppery red. An extra attraction in spring: the flowers. Succulent flowers always seem to appear out of nowhere, and the flowers of golden sedum grow clusters of white, starry blossoms.

The golden sedum is as easy-care as any of its succulent relatives. If you are planting it outside, make sure you live in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. It's best to limit its afternoon sun outdoors. Golden sedum is often used outdoors as ground cover since it grows fast and spreads out in a carpet in the blink of an eye. But don't expect to walk on it.

The key to keeping this carefree plant happy is to provide a bright-sun location and soil with excellent drainage, like that offered by potting soil specifically for cactus. Give the plant regular water in summer, but let it dry out between waterings. Note that this plant's number one cause of death is overwatering.

Almost all succulents propagate easily from cuttings, and golden sedum is no exception. If you happen to knock off a few leaves, just leave them on the soil surface and they are very likely to root. Or you can prune off a stem and root it in water.

It's also possible to propagate this mat-forming plant by division. Dig up the plant clump in fall and divide it into several chunks, replanting each one at a short distance. The golden sedum will quickly fill in the border spaces.