Growing Sedum Sieboldii: Caring For The Pink Sedum

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Sedum sieboldii (aka October Daphne or Hylotelephium sieboldii) is a deciduous succulent plant hailing from Japan.

The flowering Sieboldii October Daphne is a bright pink plant is named after a German researcher of Japanese botany during the 1800s, Franz Philippe von Siebold.

Flowering f Sedum sieboldii - the Pink Sedum aka October DaphnePin

October Daphne is just one of many different types of the genus, and it is often thought of as being the most beautiful.

However, the Donkey Tail succulent variety is hard to beat!


The Sedum sieboldii is a small, attractive plant with a low, spreading growth habit.

Sieboldii grows in attractive, circular mounds and sends out horizontal branches from a central crown. The blue-green leaves are about three quarters of an inch around and grow in sets of three.

Leaf edgings are deep pink, and this flower color intensifies as the growing season progresses into late summer and fall. When the plant gets the right amount of light, fall leaf color may be pink, orange, yellow or even bright red.

Sedum Sieboldii October Daphne Plant Profile

Botanical: Sedum sieboldii [SEE-dum see-BOLD-ee-eye]

Common Names: October Daphne, Stonecrop, October sedum, October plant, Siebold’s stonecrop

Genus: Hylotelephium

Plant Type: Succulent perennial herb

Height: 6” to 10” inches

Spread: 12” inches

USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 – 9



Foliage: Leaves are rounded fleshy, blue-green early in the growing season gradually turning to deep pink before winter.

Flower: Star-shaped rose color pink flowers grow in clusters on 8″ inch stems in late summer through early autumn.

Pink Sedum flowers of Sedum SieboldiiPin

Pink flowers of Sieboldii – image via Wikimedia Commons

Light & Temperature: Partial shade to full sun. This plant does best with east, west, or southern aspect. Shelter against harsh weather conditions.

Soil Requirements: Fertile, well-drained soil should have a neutral to alkaline pH reading. A good soil mix for this plant consists of one part leaf mold, two-parts sand and three parts of a natural, loam-based compost.

Growth Rate: Slow

Water Requirements: Low to moderate. Sedum October daphne is drought tolerant and considered an excellent candidate for xeriscaping. Provide regularly throughout the growing season, and allow the soil moisture to dry out between watering.

Fertilizer Requirements: Fertilize a couple of times a month during the growing season using a weak solution of standard liquid fertilizer. Watch carefully early in the spring, and when new shoots emerge from the soil provide the first feeding.

Grooming & Maintenance: Encourage blooming by deadheading the flowers as needed throughout the growing season. At the end of the growing season, leave dead stems on the plant. In the springtime when new growth begins, clip or break off the dead stems.

How To Propagate The Stonecrop Sedum sieboldii

Propagation of Sedum seiboldii is extremely easy.

Grow new sedum plants from:

  • Seed
  • Softwood cuttings
  • Plant propagation through division

When it’s time to repot your plant, simply divide the root ball into two, three or four sections and plant each section into individual pots.

Early spring is the best time to divide this plant.

Stonecrop Pests or Disease Problems

When growing outdoors, plants may have problems with slugs and snails. Prevent slugs and snails by:

  • Picking off these individual pests
  • Working the ground around the plant regularly
  • Using slug and snail bait
  • Introducing nematodes to the soil to help control the pests

Excessive watering may cause bacteria and fungus to grow.

Fungus, in turn, may cause damaged roots, and withering and discoloration of shoots and leaves. Reduce watering and provide well-draining soil.

Aphids, mealy bugs and/or scale insects may also be a problem in an outdoor or indoor setting.

Outdoors aphids, mealybugs and scale insects are best dealt with them by encouraging natural predators such as parasitic wasps, ladybugs and the like.

Indoors, these pests may be washed off with a strong spray of water and/or scraped off. Discourage them with occasional treatments of neem oil and water.

Outdoors vine weevils may also be problematic. Remove them by handpicking, treating with a neem oil solution and introducing nematodes to the soil.

Is This Plant Toxic or Poisonous?

All parts of the plant are considered mildly toxic and may cause some gastrointestinal distress.

Even so, very young, tender leaves can be safely eaten without cooking. Slightly older leaves can be safely eaten when lightly sautéed or steamed.

Is This Plant Invasive?

Although sieboldii is an enthusiastic grower, it is not considered invasive.

Suggested Uses For Hylotelephium Sieboldii

Sieboldii October is a groundcover in its natural setting, and grows very well on rocky soil.

For this reason it is an excellent candidate for use in very challenging areas and in rock gardens. Even so, this versatile plant can do well in a wide variety of settings, including:

  • Low maintenance gardening
  • Commercial or city planters
  • Container planting
  • Beds and borders
  • Succulent Hanging baskets
  • Landscaping
  • Xeriscaping
  • Garden edging
  • Forest settings
  • Houseplants
  • Gravel gardening

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