Sedum sarmentosum (Stringy Stonecrop, Goldmoss) on 4-25-10, #52-10.
Stringy Stonecrop, Goldmoss. Graveyard Moss, Etc.
Sedum sarmentosum
SEE-dum sar-men-TOH-sum
Sedum sarmentosum Bunge is the accepted name for this species of Sedum. It was named and described by Alexander Andrejewitsch von Bunge in Enumeratio Plantarum in 1833.
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 in the Sedum genus. It is a member of the plant family Crassulaceae with 36 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
A good friend of mine, Kyle Hall, brought several pieces of this Sedum in 2010 when I was living in Mississippi. He had collected them while walking for a visit. He brought me several plants like that over a several year period, mainly from this one lady’s front yard. 🙂 I put them in the bed behind the kitchen where the Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’ was growing. After a few years, both species were growing in almost the whole bed as well as in the cracks in the sidewalk.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Family: Crassulaceae.
Origin: China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Thailand…
Zones: USDA Zones 3a-8b (-40 to 15° F).
Size: About 6” tall.
Light: Sun to part shade.
Soil: Average, well-drained.
Water: Average, drought tolerant.
I had to laugh when I looked at the distribution map for this species on Plants of the World online. It shows where this species was introduced to a few states in the U.S. I wouldn’t hesitate to say this plant has made its way throughout this country. I have lived in Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota, California, and Mississippi and I have seen this plant everywhere but California.
Dave’s Garden USDA zones say this plant is hardy in USDA Zones 3a to 8b, but it thrived in Leland, Mississippi in zone 9. In the cooler zones, you may want to give it a little protection.
One of the common names, Stringy Stonecrop’, comes from the way the flowers are born on very thin stems. You wouldn’t notice this because the flowers rest on top of the larger leaves.
This Sedum is very easy to propagate. They are very shallow rooted and you can pull up a handful and put it anywhere. You don’t even really have to plant it.
I didn’t bring any of these with me when I moved back to the family farm in mid-Missouri in February 2013 because I was pretty sure I could find some here. Well, I have located many yards that have this Goldmoss, but I still haven’t brought any home. Most people who have this species are happy to share because once you have it, you have it.
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.
The Belmont Rooster 