Woodland Stonecrop

Sedum ternatum

Woodland Stonecrop is the native sedum for shade. a low, spreading groundcover that carpets rocky, moist woodland floors with its three-parted succulent leaves and cheerful white spring flowers. Unlike the sun-loving sedums most gardeners know, this one is completely at home in the shade of a woodland garden, rooting as it spreads and forming dense low mats that are semi-evergreen through mild winters. The white star-shaped flowers cover the foliage in April and May, making the whole plant glow briefly in the filtered light under trees. Plant it between rocks, at the base of a stone wall, in the joints of stepping stones, or as a groundcover on a moist shaded slope. It spreads steadily but gently. never invasive, easily edited if it reaches somewhere unwanted. The succulent leaves are an unusual texture for a shade plant, and the semi-evergreen habit means the garden has something green at ground level through the winter months. Deer leave it completely alone, and it's essentially pest and disease free.