October daphne
Hylotelephium sieboldii · Crassulaceae
Arching stems of round, blue-grey leaves edged in pink radiate from the centre like spokes, each tipped with a cluster of bright pink flowers in October.
- Size
- 8 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Mid September to late October
- Pets
- Toxic to people
- Job in a bed
- Edging
A bed built around October daphne
The planner designed this bed around October daphne when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, full sun. It chose the other plants from the 715 that suit those conditions and its dry soil, and says below why October daphne stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 October daphne × 8, pink
- 2 Yellow ice plant × 4, yellow
- 3 False sunflower 'Summer Sun' × 3, yellow
- 4 Brown-eyed Susan × 5, yellow
- 5 Silver sage × 1, silver leaves
- 6 Yarrow × 3, red
- 7 Ornamental onion 'Purple Sensation' × 4, purple
- 8 Lady tulip × 12, red
Why this plant
- The only dense clusters. The others are daisies, flat plates, globes and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only pink.
Why here
- On the front edge. At 8 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 37% of the edge.
- 8 plants in 2 runs (5 and 3). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
Why now
- In flower for six weeks. From mid September to late October.
- Closes the season. For its last three weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 6 groups (83%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The most in flower at one time is 3 kinds, from late July. Hot colours (yellow and red) with pink and purple as the cool notes.
The planner's own design check: 13 Excellent, 4 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where October daphne goes in a border
At 8 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is low (6 to 12 in).
Its job: edging. A low, neat plant used in short runs of three or five along the front to finish the edge (or, in a formal bed, in one even row).
The last sedum to flower, and beautiful in leaf for months before. Its perfect radial shape deserves a place where it can be seen from above, at the front or over an edge.
- Late colour at the very front
- Spilling over a wall or the edge of a pot
- Rock gardens
What to plant with October daphne
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Blue fescue: its blue-green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; happy in the same dry soil.
- Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch': flowers first, mid May to late June, so the spot is never empty; happy in the same dry soil.
- Hens and chicks: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; low enough (4 in) to stand in front of it; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about October daphne
Does October daphne need sun or shade?
October daphne grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).
It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.
What zones does October daphne grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does October daphne flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers mid September to late October. As an autumn flower it keeps much the same dates in every zone: it answers to shortening days and cool nights more than to the warmth of spring.
| Zone 3 | Mid September to late October |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Mid September to late October |
| Zone 5 | Mid September to late October |
| Zone 6 | Mid September to late October |
| Zone 7 | Mid September to late October |
| Zone 8 | Mid September to late October |
| Zone 9 | Mid September to late October |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should October daphne be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 8 in (20 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many October daphne plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as runs of three or five along the front (or one even row, in a formal bed).
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is October daphne poisonous?
Yes: mild toxicity to people. May cause mild stomach upset if eaten.
Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a native plant like October daphne?
October daphne comes from Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Alpine aster: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid May to late June, wants average soil.
- Sea thrift: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early May to mid June, fine leaves, not medium.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat October daphne?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does October daphne look like in winter?
October daphne dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.
Is October daphne good for bees and butterflies?
October daphne is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and songbirds.
More Hylotelephium
- Sedum 'Autumn Fire' Hylotelephium 'Autumn Fire'
- Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
- Sedum 'Frosty Morn' Hylotelephium erythrostictum 'Frosty Morn'
- Sedum 'Lidakense' Hylotelephium cauticola 'Lidakense'
- Sedum 'Matrona' Hylotelephium 'Matrona'
- Sedum 'Purple Emperor' Hylotelephium telephium 'Purple Emperor'
- Sedum 'Vera Jameson' Hylotelephium 'Vera Jameson'
- Showy stonecrop 'Brilliant' Hylotelephium spectabile 'Brilliant'
- Showy stonecrop 'Neon' Hylotelephium spectabile 'Neon'
In these guides
- Rabbit-resistant plants
- Drought-tolerant perennials for full sun
- Plants for butterflies
- Plants for bees
- Plants that feed garden birds
- Low plants for the front of a border
- Plants that flower in fall
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 8 in (20 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Low (6 to 12 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Mid September to late October; dense clusters; pink
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; blue-green
- Shape
- Arching, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Comes from
- Japan
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Rabbits, drought, poor soil
Checked against NC State Extension. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.