Love-restoring Stonecrop Hylotelephium anacampseros
Other Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Sedum anacampseros
- Sedum lividum
- Sedum rotundifolium
- Phonetic Spelling
- hy-lo-teh-LEF-fee-um ah-na-KAMP-ser-os
- Description
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Love Restorer is a herbaceous perennial and succulent whose stems radiate from the center with smooth spiraling, bluish-green to grayish-green leaves. The leaves gradually get smaller as they reach the ends of the stem. The plant is only a few inches tall and measures about 1 foot wide. Their flowers bloom in the summer and appear star-shaped, pale purplish-red in color. The roots are tuberous.
This plant is a native of Southwest Europe including Spain, southern France, southwest Switzerland, and northern Italy. It is formerly of the genus, Sedum but was reassigned to Hylotelephium.
The genus name, Hylotelephium, is Greek in origin. "Hylo," translated, means forest or woodland. "Telephium" means distant lover. The species name, anacampseros, is also Greek. Translated, it means to return or turn back. "Eros" means love and desire. The common name, Love Restorer, reflects the belief that this succulent has the power to bring back lost love.
Love Restorer requires very little care and has a moderate growth rate. It prefers well-drained soils and is drought tolerant once established. This plant is propagated by seeds, division, or stem cuttings. It is recommended to sow the seeds in spring. Plant division is best done in spring to early summer. Stem cuttings may be obtained during the summer.
It is grown as an ornamental to provide ground cover. Love Restorer is also planted as a "green roof" or "green wall" system to provide shelter for wildlife and insulation for buildings.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Cultivars / Varieties:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Hylotelephium
- Species:
- anacampseros
- Family:
- Crassulaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- This plant is grown commercially for use as a "green roof or "green wall" system. In Germany, it is cultivated as a medicinal plant. A poultice can be made from mashed leaves.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Pyrenees, Southwest to Southern Alps, South Central Alps
- Distribution:
- Native to Southwest Europe--Sapin, Southern France, Southwest Switzerland, and North Italy Introduced: Czechoslovakia and Norway
- Wildlife Value:
- This a pollinator plant for bees and butterflies. It also provides shelter for small wildlife.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Heat and drought tolerant
- Edibility:
- The plant leaves are reportedly edible but bitter. They can be served either raw or cooked.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 10 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Succulent
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Allow the seed heads to dry on the plant, then remove and collect the seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Umbel
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Star
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The flowerheads are tight and round. The flowers are star-shaped and cluster at the end of the stem. They are purplish-red on the interior and have a purple covered powdery bloom on the outside.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Blue
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Shape:
- Orbicular
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are grayish-green to bluish-green. They are rounded and up to 1.2 inches in diameter.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The stems decumbent, sparsely branched, and measure 6-8 inches long. The leaves are mostly arranged toward the tips of the reddish to pale green-colored stems.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Rock Wall
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Rock Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Rabbits
