When to plant and prune Sedum (ice plant, hylotelephium)
Sedum (ice plant, hylotelephium) flowers from early August to mid October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Sedum (ice plant, hylotelephium) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| East Anglia | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Northern England | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Northern Ireland | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | mid September to late October | early August to mid October | late February to late March |
Growing notes
Extremely hardy, withstanding -20C, and one of the most valuable late nectar sources of the year for bees, hoverflies and butterflies. The Chelsea chop (cutting new stems back by half in late May) is the standard cure for plants that flop open in flower.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 60 cm
- Eventual spread
- 100 cm
- Hardiness
- H7
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Feeding
No feeding needed; it flowers best on reasonably fertile, well-drained soil.
Pruning group
Cut the dead stems to the ground in early spring as the new growth emerges; they can also be cut off after flowering if you prefer a tidy border.
What usually goes wrong
- crown and root rot on wet soils
- lax floppy growth in shade or rich soil
- powdery mildew in dry conditions
- slugs and snails
- vine weevil in containers
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for sedum (ice plant, hylotelephium).