Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name.

Habitat:

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ is a nursery cultivar and thus doesn’t exist in nature. The regular Sedum spathulifolium, the species from which this cultivar has been obtained, is instead widespread in Canada and USA.

Description:

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ is a highly-decorative succulent, perfect for filling a big pot in a covered porch or veranda, or either to be planted in a rock garden. It is a ground-covering plant, forming a map of numerous rosettes borne at the top of a myriad of stems. The name of the cultivar, ‘Cape Blanco’, probably refers to the silvery-white colour, slightly glaucous, of its leaves, almost glaring, so much so that it immediately jumps out to you if you step on it in a rock garden. Its leaves are concave, rounded with a slightly pronounced point, sometimes with a soft, velvety hair on their surface. They are arranged in are arranged in the stem in such an elegant manner that the rosettes look like “flowers made of leaves”. The actual flowers, instead, are grouped in inflorescences called cymes, borne at the top of stems rising above the map of rosettes. A cyme is a flat-topped inflorescence in which the central flowers open first, followed by the peripheral flowers. In this species, the cyme is flattened and very showy and decorative, being filled with bright yellow flowers.

Cultivation:

Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, like all Sedums, is very tough and needs little care. Here below are a few tips:

Place it in direct sun to enhance the whitish tinge if its foliage and to develop a healthy felt. We advise though to provide some light shade at least during the hottest hours of Summer days.
The minimum tolerated temperature of this species is around -12ºC. It is rather frost-resistant and can survive outdoors during the Winter. However, Winter rains and humidity should be avoided, to reduce the risk of root rotting.
Water it regularly, about once a week, during the growth season in Spring and Summer, waiting for the soil to dry up completely before each irrigation. In Autumn, gradually decrease the watering frequency until completely stopping in Winter.
Choose a well-draining substrate. A specific mix for succulent will do good. Also a standard substrate for potted plants with some gravel or perlite added is okay.
Fertilization is not necessary if the plant is repotted regularly. In any case, we suggest to fertilizeo once a year in early spring with a product specific for succulents, rich in Phosphorus and Potassium and poor in Nitrogen, diluting it at half the doses recommended on the label.
Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ is a mapping succulent and we suggest to plant it outdoors, in rock gardens: it will expand horizontally in all directions, behaving like a ground-covering plant. Choose a spot which is shaded in Summer and plant it in a poor soil. If you choose to grow it in pot, we advise to use large containers and, in general wide pots, because it tends to expand horizontally. In the act of repotting, choose pots that are only slightly larger than the previous ones.

Propagation:

Sedums can usually be propagated easily by leaf or branch cuttings. In the case of Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’, however, the best method is to divide the bush. That is to say, you detach a portion of bush that includes its soil and roots, and replant it in another pot.

Curiosity:

The name “Sedum” means ‘plant, annual herb’ in Latin. Such a generic name is justified by the wide distribution of this genus. Recently, this plants have become pupular in roof coverings, the so-called “green roofs”.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
Read our advice