Zone: 3 to 9

Soil: Sand to clay

Light: Full sun to part sun

Bloom colour: Pink, white and yellow

Bloom period: Late summer into fall

Height: 2 feet

Moisture: Dry to medium

Attracts: Bees and butterflies

Notes: Many of the plants sold in nurseries come from Europe or Asia and therefore should only be planted in highly managed gardens. Some species of sedum have already escaped into the wild in N. America. These plants are hardy and easy to grow, but being hard to kill is a good reason to look at the alternatives. They tolerate drought and sandy soil. In late summer they put on a spectacular show and then afterwards the flowerheads provide winter interest. It is no surprise that these plants are popular. Larger bees in particular enjoy these plants. Sedum is widely available and comes in both upright and prostrate forms. The prostrate species such as Sedum spurium tend to flower earlier on in the summer. If you want to plant native alternatives, then consider species of Aster, Rudbeckia and Goldenrod that can tolerate similar conditions.