Sedum sarmentosum in a small hypertufa pot

Sedum sarmentosum – Gold Moss, Graveyard Moss, What’s in a Name?

If you want a fast-growing sedum, then this Sedum sarmentosum is the one.  First of all, when you see fast-growing describing any plant, use a little bit of caution because that could mean you could be bringing in a runaway Garden Thug into your garden too!  However, if you need a plant which comes back year after year in a place where you find it hard to grow anything, this would be it.

One of the common names of this sedum is Graveyard Moss. It was a plant that was planted over a grave site covering the freshly turned earth. The sedum quickly grew and spread a bright green mat. It is not a moss, but Graveyard moss became one of its common names. Sedum sarmentosum seems old fashioned and I think that is why it appeals to me. I like old and I like tradition.  Ref: Paghat’s Garden

Sedum sarmentosum Gold Moss

Graveyard moss is a hardy perennial sedum in zones 4-9. In my Ohio zone 6, it dies back each year but pops back in spring with a bright green creeping “vine” to scramble through the bed where I currently have it growing.  I also have a few pots which are popping out this spring too. It will bloom in June with a bright yellow star-shaped flower which covers the plant. It is a really beautiful sight and makes you want more and more. And yes, it grows well too.  See posts on other succulents here.

Lime green leaves with orange stems

I have some in my front garden bed and it seems overnight to grow a few inches. A small cutting of it grew about 3 feet, branching off in all directions. The photo above shows it in a partially sunny bed but sheltered by other plants. The soil is rich in this bed and that makes the Gold Moss grow in longer strands. It would be a tighter growth habit in  lean soil.

Gold Moss or Stringy Moss - Sedum sarmentosum

I have the Graveyard Moss planted in some hypertufa containers and it seems to do well. It is sprouting again this spring in this pot that I have sitting on a tree stump near the edge of the woods.  I do think the squirrels think I have set it all up as a Woodland “Nut Bar.”  My hypertufa pot has a lot of nut shells in it and you can see the top of the tree stump is full of them.

In our new house, we don’t seem to have as many squirrels as before, but it could be that I just don’t see them as much since we don’t have the woods right in our back yard any more. Our back yard is completely a grass lawn now. I am close to the Shiloh Woods Conservation Area so there is a lot of nature around me still.  Here is a video from a controlled burn a few years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqiyGto2ck

Sedum sarmentosum as the local Nut Bar

Sunday,  I planted some of the Sedum sarmentosum in one of my smaller draped hypertufa containers.  (If you would like to make one, I have all the directions on this post.) I am hoping that I will have a full pot of dangling branches soon. I plan to pinch them off after flowering and keep putting more and more back into the soil to see if I can get a thick fountain effect.

Draped Hypertufa Pot with Sedum sarmentosum

These plants are almost in bud so I should have some bright, star-shaped yellow flowers soon. I will post on the Facebook Page when I do. Pray for me that this is NOT a horrible invasive plant that I will regret planting. It has been in my yard for more than a year and it is not seeming to be a Thug yet…….

So far.

Here’s a video of the plant about 6 weeks later. Am I in trouble?

Sedum Sarmentosum - Graveyard Moss - Is It a Garden Thug?

Here is a link to purchase some of the [easyazon_link identifier=”B0141BRC54″ locale=”US” tag=”thehypegard0d-20″]Graveyard Moss[/easyazon_link] if you should be interested. It is an Amazon link and I could make a commission if you made a purchase. If you have any more questions about this, see my Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure Page.

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