Sedum 'John Creech'
Sedum spurium 'John Creech' · Crassulaceae
A very low, tight mat of small, scalloped green leaves with pink flowers in late summer. It is denser than other creeping sedums and takes more shade.
- Size
- 2 in tall, 16 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun to part sun
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves; flowers late July to early September
- Pets
- Toxic to people
- Job in a bed
- Carpet
A bed built around sedum 'John Creech'
The planner designed this bed around sedum 'John Creech' 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 sedum 'John Creech' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Sedum 'John Creech' × 10, green leaves
- 2 Cheddar pinks 'Firewitch' × 11, pink
- 3 False sunflower 'Summer Sun' × 3, yellow
- 4 Brown-eyed Susan × 3, yellow
- 5 Blue oat grass × 1, tan
- 6 Wild lupine × 8, blue
- 7 Schubert's allium × 2, pink
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
Why here
- On the front edge. At 2 in it frames the bed without hiding it, and it is in leaf all season. It finishes 70% of the edge.
- 10 plants in 3 runs (5, 3 and 2). Runs of different lengths make the edge a frame, not a ruled line.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, into winter. They cover the 19 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 7 of the 8 groups (88%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Neither end outweighs the other: the visual weight is split 48 to 52, left to right. The flowering is at its height from early June, with 4 kinds out together.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 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 sedum 'John Creech' goes in a border
At 2 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is ground-hugging (up to 6 in).
Its job: carpet. A groundcover planted in threes and fives to cover the soil: along the front, and just behind it.
The densest of the creeping sedums, tight enough to keep out weeds. One of the few that still performs in part shade.
- A weed-proof carpet
- Between stepping stones
- Dry part shade
What to plant with sedum 'John Creech'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Blue fescue: tall enough (10 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
- Creeping thyme: adds the flowers, early June to mid July; tall enough (3 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
- Hens and chicks: tall enough (4 in) to stand behind it; happy in the same dry soil.
Questions about sedum 'John Creech'
Does sedum 'John Creech' need sun or shade?
Sedum 'John Creech' 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 sedum 'John Creech' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should sedum 'John Creech' 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 16 in (40 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 2 in (5 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many sedum 'John Creech' 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 threes and fives, along the front and just behind it.
In the bed above, the planner used 10 in three groups.
Is sedum 'John Creech' 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 sedum 'John Creech'?
Sedum 'John Creech' comes from North Eastern Turkey to Northern Iran. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:
- Pussytoes: the same job in a bed and the same size.
- Woolly yarrow: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers late May to early July.
- Rock cress: the same job in a bed; 6 in taller, flowers mid April to early May.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat sedum 'John Creech'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
Will sedum 'John Creech' spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads steadily by creeping stems. It is easy to pull out, but needs a firm edge.
What does sedum 'John Creech' look like in winter?
Sedum 'John Creech' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.
Is sedum 'John Creech' good for bees and butterflies?
Sedum 'John Creech' is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies and songbirds.
More Sedum
- Goldmoss stonecrop Sedum acre
- Russian stonecrop Sedum kamtschaticum
- Sedum 'Angelina' Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'
- Sedum 'Blue Spruce' Sedum reflexum 'Blue Spruce'
- Sedum 'Tricolor' Sedum spurium 'Tricolor'
- Tasteless stonecrop Sedum sexangulare
- White stonecrop 'Coral Carpet' Sedum album 'Coral Carpet'
- Woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial (groundcover)
- Size
- 2 in (5 cm) tall, 16 in (40 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Ground-hugging (up to 6 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Late July to early September; dense clusters; pink
- Leaves
- Fine texture, semi-evergreen; green
- Shape
- Mat-forming, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Soil
- Lean, dry and sharply drained
- Water
- Low
- Feeding
- None needed
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Comes from
- North Eastern Turkey to Northern Iran
- Attracts
- Pollinators, bees, butterflies, songbirds
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits, drought, pollution, erosion
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.