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Sedum lineare is often confused with:
Sedum acre Sedum acre
Native alternative(s) for Sedum lineare:
Sedum ternatum Sedum ternatum
Plants that fill a similar niche:
Iberis sempervirens Iberis sempervirens
Salvia rosmarinus Rosmarinus officinalis
Thymus vulgaris Thymus vulgaris

Sedum lineare

Phonetic Spelling
SEE-dum lin-ee-AIR-ee
Description

Carpet Sedum is low maintenance, sun-loving, evergreen succulent that will thrive where other plants do not.  It is native to parts of eastern Asia, with its name coming from the Latin word sedeo, meaning to sit, and lineare meaning linear, because of the narrow leaves of the plant.  Sedums are often referred to as Stonecrops because they are often found growing wild in rocky or stony areas.  This is a tough drought and heat resistant plant that can develop into a low growing mat-like ground cover, perfect for slopes, tight spots, embedded in or tumbling over walls, rock gardens, xeriscapes, and hanging baskets.  Carpet Sedum will grow in almost any well-drained soil, especially sandy to gravelly soils, and is well adapted to shallow and poor soil.  It will tolerate some shade but will grow more open and leggy. 

Because of its limited need for soil, and its roots lack of penetrating ability, Carpet Sedum is proposed as an ideal plant for growing on flat-roofed buildings in Shanghai, China to create a green roof.

Carpet Sedum propagates any time easily by division, stem cutting, or layering.  Lay a leaf on the soil and roots will form where the leaf and soil meet, covering the leaf with a thin layer of soil will help keep it in place.  For stem cutting, just break off a stem and push into the soil, and to propagate into larger plants, dig up a section and replant.  Carpet Sedum will naturally propagate by seed.  

As a bonus, Carpet Sedum has a tiny yellow bloom in late spring to early summer that attracts pollinators, and it is resistant to most undesirable wildlife.  Watch for slugs, snails, and scale, but they are not considered problematic.

 

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Golden Teardrop', 'Variegatum'
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#succulent#yellow flowers#low maintenance#spring flowers#rabbit resistant#hanging baskets#summer flowers#cascading#deer resistant#herbaceous perennial#groundcover#rock garden#border planting#pollinator plant#evergreen groundcover#Guilford Crevice Garden#perennial
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
'Golden Teardrop', 'Variegatum'
Tags:
#full sun tolerant#drought tolerant#succulent#yellow flowers#low maintenance#spring flowers#rabbit resistant#hanging baskets#summer flowers#cascading#deer resistant#herbaceous perennial#groundcover#rock garden#border planting#pollinator plant#evergreen groundcover#Guilford Crevice Garden#perennial
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Sedum
    Species:
    lineare
    Family:
    Crassulaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    It has been used in herbal medicine
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Layering
    Seed
    Stem Cutting
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Southeastern China, Japan
    Distribution:
    Baltic States, Georgia, Vietnam, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Japan
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    drought, dry soil, shallow-rocky soil
    Edibility:
    Leaves can be cooked but eaten sparingly
    Dimensions:
    Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 9 in.
    Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Ground Cover
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Perennial
    Succulent
    Habit/Form:
    Cascading
    Horizontal
    Spreading
    Growth Rate:
    Rapid
    Maintenance:
    Low
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
    Occasionally Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    Less than 12 inches
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Capsule
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Cyme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Star
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    Yellow blooms arrive in late spring to early summer. Short flowering shoots are simple, 10-30 cm in size and ascending or weeping. The inflorescences are lax cymes that have anywhere from 10-60 flowers. The individual flowers are short tight blooms that are very close to the foliage with no pedicels. The odd numbered sepals are yellow-green and the filaments are yellow with dark yellow anthers, and yellow nectar scales.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Fleshy
    Smooth
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Whorled
    Leaf Shape:
    Linear
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    .25-1.25 inch long narrow linear succulent light green leaves spread in whorls of 3 that attach to the stem without a stalk or peduncle. The base is short-spurred, and the apex is obtuse to subacute.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Hanging Baskets
    Naturalized Area
    Patio
    Rock Wall
    Slope/Bank
    Small Space
    Landscape Theme:
    Asian Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rock Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Mass Planting
    Small groups
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Deer
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Heat
    Poor Soil
    Rabbits