Sedum 'Lidakense'

Questions about sedum 'Lidakense'

Does sedum 'Lidakense' need sun or shade?

Sedum 'Lidakense' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

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 'Lidakense' grow in?

USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does sedum 'Lidakense' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late August to early October. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

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 sedum 'Lidakense' be planted?

10 in (25 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 12 in (30 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 4 in (10 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many sedum 'Lidakense' plants do I need?

At 10 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 17 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 13 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 55 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 22 in six groups.

Is sedum 'Lidakense' 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 'Lidakense'?

Sedum 'Lidakense' comes from Japan. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Pussytoes: the same job in a bed and the same size; grown for its leaves, not its flowers, fine leaves, not medium.
• Robin's plantain 'Lynnhaven Carpet': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers early May to late May, lavender, not pink.

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 'Lidakense'?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

What flowers after sedum 'Lidakense'?

Sedum 'Lidakense' is over by early October. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Japanese onion 'Ozawa': from early October to early November, 10 in tall.
• Chrysanthemum 'Sheffield Pink': from late September to early November, 2½ ft tall.
• Tatarian aster 'Jindai': from early October to early November, 4 ft tall.

What does sedum 'Lidakense' look like in winter?

Sedum 'Lidakense' 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 sedum 'Lidakense' good for bees and butterflies?

Sedum 'Lidakense' is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies, moths and songbirds.