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Sedum: Cultivated Stonecrops

© Diana Pederson

Gardeners worldwide grow Sedums which are frequently called stonecrops. Lack of literature about this plant genus has been a problem for many years. The latest book dated to the early '70s and others were written even earlier this century. Much of the current literature was written for botanists. This meant that many of the newly discovered Sedums were not known outside of scientific circles. As a result, many Sedums are misnamed in our nurseries and garden centers. There was a need for a book on this genus written for home gardeners and professionals alike.

Ray Stephenson, editor of England's Sedum Society Newsletter, and holder of England's national Sedum collection, produced the needed book in 1994. Published by Timber Press, Sedum: Cultivated Stonecrops meets the needs of both ordinary gardeners and the professional. This is one of those rare books which explains technical information in an easy to understand manner.

Stephenson provides excellent suggestions for using Sedums, explains the cultural requirements of the various species, and discusses possible disease or pest problems. He also provides a detailed explanation of the characteristics which cause a particular plant to be classified in the Sedum genus. This is expected in any book about a particular genus. However, Stephenson takes this a step further by describing all the genera within the Crassulaceae family.

The author breaks the family, Crassulaceae, into subfamilies, then into genera. Each genera is identified as Old world or New world. The genus Sedum is then broken down into subgenera, again labeled according to geographical location. I find this chapter to be extremely valuable. Not only did I discover that other plants I collect are from the Crassulaceae family, I know where they originate geographically, and how they are different from other genera in this family. This was written in language that even I, a non-botanist or horticulturist, could understand. The reader can quickly look up technical terms in the glossary.

The second part of the book groups species together based on their geographical location. This may present a problem to a person with an unidentified species. It would be difficult to know where to begin looking for a possible identification if you did not know where the plant originated. I see no easy way for an author to overcome this difficulty. Stephenson has carefully explained the distinguishing characteristics for each species, possible variations found in the field, and provided a picture of the plant (black and white and 109 color plates) emphasizing any special characteristic. If a collector knew where the plant came from geographically, it seems possible to follow the chapter discussion for that geographical region, and eventually identify the species. One of the beneficial features of the discussion shows why plants that I personally have seen sold as being from different genera, are now classified as Sedums. This will prove valuable as I purchase plants from local specialists and mail-order sources alike.