Sedum telephium (Hylotelephium) 'MUNSTEAD DARK RED' orpine, ice plant

Munstead Dark Red is a good old buddy in the world of orpines. We can call it a classic now as it gained so much well-deserved attention and praise, and is still among the top stonecrop varieties. It produces pale but darker green, oval leaves with a faint burgundy red overlay. Already from July you can see formation of very large flower heads that take almost two months to open fully and reveal one of the most breathtaking depths of rich purple pink colour. A mass planting of this variety is simply stunning and must be visible from an airplane with a naked eye. From late August until early October you can enjoy a perfection of this colour.

Its stems are 40-60 cm tall and strong enough to hold large flower-heads, however, if your soil is too rich they may get a bit floppy growing too tall. Knowing this we suggest clipping the plant in early June in order to limit the stem height which will encourage formation of flower buds.

Orpines are perfect plants for autumn borders. They add extra colour on an architecturally interesting plant. These perennials are easy to grow, they will like almost any well-drained soil, they do well in rockeries and outdoor pots. Cut them back in early spring. Fully hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 02-09-2013