How to Grow and Care for Autumn Joy Sedum in Your Garden

Autumn Joy sedum (the common name for Hylotelephium telephium ‘Herbstfreude’) is a variety of ornamental stonecrop. Autumn Joy sedum is commonly referred to as stonecrop because it grows on and amongst stones. It is also an herbaceous perennial that will grow back year after year if properly cared for.

Autumn Joy is a low maintenance, drought-tolerant plant perfect for rock gardens or low water xeriscaping (landscaping with little to no irrigation). It is commonly used as a low-growing ground cover because of its fleshy green leaves. In late spring or early fall, Autumn Joy buds will open to reveal large clusters of dark pink flowers that deepen into red before turning rust-colored with the arrival of cold temperatures.

For an early summer or late fall growing season, the best time to plant Autumn Joy stonecrop is the springtime after the threat of the last frost has passed. Make sure your sedum plants have taken root before the hot temperatures of late summer kick in. Autumn Joy thrives in a variety of climates and will do well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 10. It also requires six hours of full sun a day.

Autumn Joy can make a delightful addition to your home garden, requiring little to no care. It is just as easy to maintain as it is to propagate, which is done most quickly from stem cuttings. Follow the steps below for growing your sedum Autumn Joy from stem cuttings.

1. 1. Select your cutting. Find an established Autumn Joy plant and snip off a stem just below the node (where a leaf meets the stem). Cut a piece around four to six inches and prune off any leaves from the bottom two inches of your cutting.
2. 2. Move to a container. Fill a small container with moist, soilless potting mix. Use a pencil to poke a three-inch hole and place your cutting inside. Cover about a quarter of the stem with the potting mix and tamp down. Keep the mix moist and wait for your cutting to take root. To help this process, cover the container and plant with a plastic bag. Your cutting has taken root when you can tug on it lightly and feel some resistance from the burgeoning root system.
3. 3. Transfer your seedling to your garden. Gently dig your rooted stem cutting up from its germination container. If it is early spring, you can plant your sedum directly into the soil in your garden. Plant your Autumn Joy in a place that gets at least six hours of sunlight a day. Loosen your soil to make sure it is well-draining. After about a year of growth, your sedum will be fully established and will grow back year after year.

While all varieties of sedum are low-maintenance and can survive nearly anywhere, Autumn Joy thrives best in the right conditions. Below are some tips for taking care of your Autumn Joy plants.

1. 1. Water sparingly. Autumn Joy can store plenty of water in its succulent, fleshy leaves. The plant is drought-tolerant, only requiring consistent watering in very dry climates. Overwatering and poor drainage can lead to root disease.
2. 2. Choose the right soil. While sedum tends to grow in all types of soil, Autumn Joy prefers sandy, gravelly soil. Loam and clay soils will also work, as long as they’re well-draining. Overly-rich soil can cause the plant to flop over under the weight of its heavy flowers.
3. 3. Keep an eye out for pests. Aphids, mealybugs, slugs, and other scale insects may infect your Autumn Joy if it is not monitored. Pests can generally be kept at bay by clearing the surrounding ground of debris. Sedum is not deer-resistant, and if hungry deer and rabbits are a consistent problem, you may drape some bird netting around the plants.
4. 4. Prune your plant to control its shape. If you want to prevent your Autumn Joy from becoming too leggy, you can cut some of the stems back in the late spring. This will encourage your plants to become fuller and rounder.

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