The rosettes of pale green leaves of Sedum palmeri ‘Mendoza’ are exquisitely beautiful year-round, as beautiful as flowers, especially so in winter when the leaves become tipped with red. The early spring floral display is more like a well-worn piece of jewelry, a bonus of gold stars of five-petaled flowers repeating the form of the rosettes of leaves and at the same time contrasting nicely with the rounded leaves.
Sedum palmeri ‘Mendoza’ is both easy to please and a well behaved groundcover. It thrives in full sun to part day sun. Though sun is necessary if you want the red tips in the winter. Avoid soggy soils, but beyond that it does not need anything more than average drainage. One does not have to prepare an excessively well-drained bed for it. As with pretty much any plant, a clump of Sedum palmeri will get wider over the years. In its first decade here, it made a clump 8” tall and 18” wide. Indeed, in time you might want to divide the clump to spread it further.
Sedum palmeri ‘Mendoza’ has sailed through 20 some winters here in Zone 7b at Juniper Level Botanic Garden. It might be winter hardy throughout all of zone 7. Some references indicate it is hardy to 0 degrees F. This gem of a plant belongs in most zone 7 and warmer gardens for its year-round beauty especially since its beauty peaks in the winter months as well as its ease of culture and its well-behaved nature.
