Sedum spathulifolium

The winter color of this little sedum is pretty impressive. During the summer, it turns to silvery grey and in late summer sports yellow star-shaped flowers. It must be protected from winter wet in the garden, even though it is a Pacific NW native. The first time I was conscious of seeing it grow in the wild was during a trip along the coastal roads of Vancouver Island in Canada. It was growing on the rocky road cuts on a vertical plane. When I planted it in the garden, I put it so that it could grow vertically on large pumice outcroppings. It has proved to be happy there as well as along stone steps where it grows in pure gravel. This particular plant is the ‘Cape Blanco’ selection.