Santa Fe Botanical Garden

Common name: TURQUOISE TAILS sedum

Family: Crassulaceae (Stonecrop)

Distribution: Southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia

Habitat: Rocky outcrops, cliffs

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5 (-20 to -10 °F)

Life form: Cactus/succulent

Occurrence in New Mexico: Exotic

Growing Conditions: This stonecrop is native to mountainous regions of the Mediterranean basin (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Greece, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain), where it grows in rocks, walls and stony places, largely on calcareous soils and clay. It is also widely cultivated. It grows in full sun with low to medium moisture. It is tolerant of hot, dry sites. Over-watering should be avoided. It does well in sandy, gravelly, rocky or clay soils with poor nutrition. It is useful as a groundcover when plants are spaced 12 inches apart. Cuttings may be rooted directly in the soil. It can also be planted in crevices in walls, or in mixed containers. It is a valued plant for green roofs. This plant is tolerant of soils contaminated with copper and grows in contaminated lands. It is useful for controlling soil erosion.