Cherry Tart Stonecrop

Cherry Tart Stonecrop

SunSparkler® Cherry Tart Stonecrop is a low, groundcover-type sedum grown for its thick, rounded leaves in dark cherry red. The fleshy foliage emerges grayish green in spring and soon flushes to deep red, a color it holds without fading through summer heat and humidity and into fall. Brick red stems carry the leaves in a dense, compact mound about 4–6 inches tall and 16–18 inches wide that stays full in the center instead of flopping open.

From mid to late summer into early fall, large rounded clusters of star-shaped flowers, about 4–5 inches across, open dark rosy pink just above the foliage. The bloom lasts about five weeks, and the flowers draw bees and butterflies at a time when many perennials have finished. Its low spread suits sunny border fronts, path edges, rock gardens, slopes, green roofs and container rims.

Cherry Tart Stonecrop grows best in full sun, where the leaf color is richest, and also performs in partial sun. It prefers average to lean, well-drained soil, including sandy or gravelly ground, and adapts to acidic, neutral or alkaline conditions. Soil that stays wet, especially in winter, can cause root rot. Once established it handles heat and dry spells with little extra water, and deer and rabbits usually pass it by. A few simple tasks keep it tidy.

Care Instructions:

Planting: Plant in spring or early fall in a sunny spot with good drainage, setting the crown at soil level and avoiding low areas where water collects.
Soil: Prefers average to lean, sandy or gravelly soil with good drainage and adapts to acidic, neutral or alkaline conditions.
Watering: Water regularly through the first growing season to establish roots, then water only during long dry spells; plants in containers need more regular watering.
Fertilizing: Apply a light feeding of slow-release fertilizer when new growth begins in spring; lean soil rarely needs more than that.
Pruning: Cut back old stems and spent flower heads in early spring, before the new foliage emerges from the crown.
Spacing: Space plants approximately 12–18 inches apart; at the closer spacing the mounds will meet and form a continuous low groundcover.
Maintenance: Divide crowded clumps in spring every few years, and move or replant any plant whose crown stays wet after rain to prevent rot.

Gardeners choose Cherry Tart Stonecrop for leaf color that lasts from spring to frost without relying on flowers alone, plus a late-summer bloom that feeds pollinators. Its compact size fits small gardens and containers, and its drought tolerance suits hot, sunny spots where thirstier perennials struggle. It performs best along sunny walks, in rock gardens and in mass plantings where several plants grow together into a low band of red.

Landscape Solutions:

• Dark red foliage adds color to the front of sunny borders from spring through fall, even when nothing else is in bloom.
• Drought and heat tolerance make it useful in hot, dry strips along driveways, walks and south-facing walls.
• A low, spreading habit covers sunny slopes and rock gardens where mowing or regular watering is difficult.
• Deer and rabbit resistance helps it hold up in yards where browsing animals damage other perennials.
• Its compact mound spills over the edges of containers and troughs, adding color to sunny patios.