Sedum adolphi

‘Firestorm’

SEE-dum   ad-OL-fee-eye

Synonym of Sedum adolphi (1) Updated on 12-15-23 from Plants of the World Online): Sedum nussbaumerianum Bitter (1923)

Sedum adolphi Raym.-Hamet is the accepted name for this species of Sedum. It was named and described by Raymond-Hamet in Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin in 1912.

Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ is a 2014 introduction from the Huntington Botanic Garden.

Many websites and databases spell Sedum adolphi with two “i’s”. IPNI (International Plant Names Index) shows one “I”. 

This species is commonly sold under the name Sedum nussbaumerianum which is a synonym of Sedum adolphi. It was named and described by Friedrich August Georg Bitter in Notizblatt des Botanischen Gartens und Museums zu Berlin in 1923.

The genus, Sedum L., was named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-15-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 476 accepted species of Sedum. It is a member of the plant family Crassulaceae with 36 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO. 

There are several links at the bottom of the page for further reading.

I brought this Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ home from Lowe’s on July 10, 2018. I have heard about this cultivar for several years and was glad to find it. Sedum adolphii has always done well for me, inside and out, and I am certain ‘Firestorm’ will do equally as well.

It was in a small 4 oz. pot when I bought it so I transplanted it into a larger pot on July 29. The label says:

“Drought tolerant when established. Needs well-draining soil. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch. Protect from frost to prevent possible scarring. Looks best with regular watering in hotter months.”

USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Crassulaceae
Origin: The species is a native of Mexico
Zones: USDA Zones 9-11 (20 to 40° F)
Size: 6-12” tall
Light: Sun to light shade
*Soil: Well-drained. Potting soil amended with pumice (50/50) or additional perlite and chicken grit (2-1-1).
Water: Average. Water regularly during the growing period, barely in the winter.

Soil-All Sedums require well-draining soil. Sedum grown in pots can be placed in potting soil that you may want to amend with pumice or additional perlite and chicken grit.

Light-Sedums do very well in full sun to light shade. Some even do just fine in more shade. My Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ spends its summers on the front porch where it gets light shade most of the day and a good amount of sun in the afternoon.

Water-I always give my cactus and succulents water at the same time as the other potted plants although I usually just lightly go over them. I only water them once in a while when they are inside for the winter. The Sedum adolphi and now this one as well have been the only two Sedum overwintering in the house since I have been back in Missouri. The other Sedum species I have grown didn’t do well inside.

Propagation-Sedum is easily propagated by leaf and stem cutting and by division. Leaf and stem cuttings should be allowed to scab over for a few days before inserting them into the soil.

<<<<2019>>>>

The Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ made it through the winter in the house and now is ready for the great outdoors for 2019.

Sedum adolphi  ‘Firestorm’ still looking good and growing on June 16. I was fairly busy over the summer but the cactus and succulents did fine with a little neglect.

I had to move the potted plants inside for the winter on October 11 because an “F” was in the forecast. I always photograph the plants as I bring them inside and measure the cactus and some of the succulents. The Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ did very well over the summer and grew quite a bit. I think next summer I will put both this plant and the other Sedum adolphii on the back porch where they will get more sun.

<<<<2020>>>>

I was very surprised when the Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm was loaded with buds in April 2020. Almost every branch had one or two flower clusters

I had to move the potted plants inside for the winter on October 15 because an “F” was in the forecast. As always, I took photographs as I moved them inside and measured the cactus and part of the succulents. I don’t usually measure Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ because it is a sprawler. It did very well over the summer and is now inside on a shelf in front of a south-facing window for the winter.

<<<<2021>>>>

The Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ did great over the summer. I was going to re-grow its stems because they are getting pretty long. I got busy with the garden and avoiding the heat then time flew by. It will be fine over the winter inside and I can do it next spring.

<<<<2023>>>>

Even though there was no “F” in the forecast until October 30, it was going to be a rainy week so I moved the potted plants inside on the 23rd and 24th. Time for photos and measurements… The Sedum adolphi ‘Firestorm’ did very well over the summer on the front porch despite the heat. Perhaps I should give it a trimming and put it in a larger pot. I think I have been saying that for a while…

This plant will likely bloom over the winter like it has for the past few years.

I will continue adding more photos and information as time goes by.

I hope you enjoyed this page and maybe found it useful. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, I would like to hear from you. Please click on “like” if you visited this page. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. 🙂 You can check out the links below for further reading. The links take you directly to the genus and species of this plant.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS)
DAVE’S GARDEN
GARDENING KNOW HOW