Hylotelephium telephium

RHS Plant Profile

orpine

Other common names

alpine, alpine live-long, frog's stomach, harping Johnny, life-everlasting, live forever, live-for-ages, livelong, midsummer men, orphan John, stone-hot, witch's moneybags, live-for-ever

Synonyms

Sedum decumbens Luce
Sedum telephium

Herbaceous Perennial

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A clump-forming, deciduous perennial to 60cm tall, with erect, pale green stems bearing fleshy, grey-green leaves. Small, dark pink, star-shaped flowers are produced in dense clusters in late summer and early autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7
Drought Resistance: Yes

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Crassulaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Hylotelephium are succulent perennials with heads of small star-shaped flowers in summer to autumn. They are sometimes included within the genus Sedum
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in full sun. See hylotelephium cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by division in spring or by softwood cuttings of non-flowering shoots in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Coastal
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

For bushy, compact plants, cut back the new stems by half in late May, this method is called the Chelsea Chop; or cut back after flowering, and during border tidy ups in late winter before new growth emerges; seedheads can be left to overwinter

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails and vine weevil

Diseases

May be susceptible to fungal and bacterial crown and root rots on wet soil, or powdery mildews on dry soils