Sedum acre
With striking golden flowers and a dense, mat-forming habit, goldmoss sedum (Sedum acre) brings a burst of color and texture to the garden with very little effort on your part.
This low-growing succulent spreads quickly, making it ideal for filling in spaces between pavers, covering dry slopes, or softening the edges of walls and paths.
It’s especially useful where the soil is lean and the sun is strong, conditions where few other plants thrive.
At just a few inches tall, it stays compact but grows outward aggressively, forming a living carpet of pale green, fleshy foliage.
In summer, clusters of bright yellow, star-shaped blooms pop up above the greenery, drawing in pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Whether you’re building out a rock garden or searching for a tough-as-nails lawn alternative, S. acre is worth considering.
But beware, this plant can spread beyond its bounds in the right conditions, so placement matters.
In our guide to growing stonecrop we provide an overview of how to grow sedum plants. This article zeros in on goldmoss sedum.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
What You’ll Learn
Goldmoss sedum aka mossy stonecrop is an evergreen perennial succulent in the Crassulaceae family, native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa.
It has naturalized widely, from North and South America to parts of Asia and Australia, often turning up in rocky outcrops, scrublands, and walls exposed to full sun.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Goldmoss sedum, goldmoss stonecrop, mossy stonecrop, biting stonecrop, wallpepper
Plant type: Perennial succulent
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 3-9
Native to: Europe, western Asia, North Africa
Bloom time: Late spring to early summer
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil type: Loose, lean, sandy or rocky, well-draining
Soil pH: 6.0-7.0, slightly acidic to neutral
Time to maturity: 6-12 months
Mature size: 2-3 inches tall, spreads up to 24 inches
Best uses: Ground cover, rock gardens, green roofs, containers
Taxonomy
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Sedum
Species: Acre
The plant reaches just two to three inches tall but spreads vigorously by rhizomes.
Each fleshy leaf is conical and blunt-tipped, overlapping like shingles along the stems. These tight clusters of foliage create a vivid, mat-like ground cover.
In late spring and early summer, goldmoss sedum blooms with showy, half-inch-wide yellow flowers that are especially attractive to pollinators.
An aggressive grower and spreader that’s quick to self-seed in optimal growing conditions, goldmoss sedum has the potential to escape cultivation, and may potentially displace native species in harsh, fragile ecosystems where little else can grow.
Used primarily as a ground cover, goldmoss sedum is an excellent option for dry slopes, xeriscaped beds, or to form a “green roof” – an eco-friendly and aesthetic alternative to your standard shingles.
It can also be grown in containers or indoors in bright light.
How to Grow
Goldmoss sedum is a breeze to grow when provided with the right conditions.
Outdoors, it’s hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9. Indoors, you’ll need to maintain temperatures above 60°F to keep the plant happy and actively growing.
Full sun is ideal, but a bit of afternoon shade won’t hurt, particularly in hot climates.
Indoors, place containers where they’ll receive ample natural light. If that’s not possible, artificial grow lights will do the trick.
Soil should be sharply draining and low in organic matter. A sandy or rocky substrate with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is best.
Avoid overly rich soil as excess nutrients can encourage fast, sprawling growth with weak, leggy stems that tend to flop over.
When growing in containers, use a loose and airy medium formulated for cacti and succulents. Make sure your pot has drainage holes to prevent soggy roots.
Watering should be minimal. Allow the top two to three inches of soil to dry out completely before adding moisture. In most outdoor settings, rainfall is usually sufficient.
There’s no need to fertilize. This is a plant that prefers nutrient-poor soil and may spread too aggressively when fed.
Cultivars to Select
There are a few S. acre cultivars available, which you can typically find at specialty succulent stores.
Often you’ll see this plant listed as goldmoss, gold moss, or moss sedum, as well as creeping charlie and biting stonecrop.
Here are a few notable varieties:
Aureum
‘Aureum’ is distinguished by its spring foliage, which emerges with a golden-yellow hue before transitioning to green as the season progresses.
Just like the species plant it produces bright yellow, star-shaped blooms in early summer.
Golden Carpet
‘Golden Carpet’ features dense, emerald-green foliage that maintains its color throughout the growing season.
It blooms in late spring to early summer with small, star-like yellow flowers slightly early than the species.
Oktoberfest
With light green foliage and a profusion of creamy white flowers that bloom from mid to late summer, ‘Oktoberfest’ tolerates a bit more foot traffic than other cultivars.
Maintenance
Goldmoss sedum doesn’t need much in the way of maintenance. Prune away any dead, damaged, or diseased growth as needed to keep the planting tidy and healthy.
Check regularly for stray plants outside your intended planting area. Any unwanted shoots are easy to remove as they have shallow roots, just pull them up by hand.
Propagation
Goldmoss sedum can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. The easiest way to get started is to transplant a nursery start.
From Seed
To start from seed, sow six to eight weeks ahead of your last expected spring frost.
Fill a pot or seed tray with a soilless cactus or succulent mix, moisten it, and sprinkle the seeds evenly over the surface. Cover with a thin layer of the same medium and mist gently with water.
Place the container in a warm spot with indirect light and cover it with clear plastic or glass to maintain humidity.
Keep the medium moist, not soggy. When seedlings emerge, remove the cover and thin out weaker plants if needed.
After all risk of frost has passed you can transplant the seedlings outdoors.
Learn more about propagating succulents from seed here.
From Cuttings
Cuttings are even simpler. About six to eight weeks before your last frost, take three-inch segments from a healthy plant.
Remove the lower leaves and insert the cuttings into a cactus mix in a container. Keep the medium lightly moist and maintain temperatures above 60°F.
When they have rooted, harden them off before transplanting.
Transplanting
Whether you’ve got a seedling, a rooted cutting, or a nursery start, transplanting is as simple as digging a hole large enough for the roots, lowering the plant in and filling the empty space with dug-out soil.
Multiple transplants should be spaced at least six inches apart.
Pests and Disease
Goldmoss sedum is generally trouble-free. It tolerates heat, drought, partial shade, and poor soils, and is also resistant to browsing from deer and rabbits.
There aren’t really any serious pest and disease issues that it suffers from, either.
That said, slugs, snails, and scale can cause occasional problems, and rot may occur in poorly drained soil.
Slugs and snails feed at night, chewing irregular holes in the foliage or severing stems entirely.
Trap them by sinking a shallow container into the soil and filling it with beer or another fermented liquid. You can also hand-pick them at night with a flashlight.
Scale are small, rounded, legless insects that attach to stems and leaves, feeding on plant sap.
Infestations can be managed by blasting them off with a strong jet of water or dabbing them with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Stem and root rot usually result from excess moisture. Infected tissue may appear soft, discolored, or collapsed.
The best way to prevent root rot is to provide excellent drainage and avoid overwatering.
Grow Goldmoss Like a Boss
A thriving patch of goldmoss sedum can bring striking color and texture to your landscape with very little effort.
With the right conditions, this rugged ground cover will spread quickly and return year after year.
If you’re searching for a vibrant, low-maintenance option to complement your garden design, S. acre is a standout choice.
Are you growing goldmoss sedum? Let us know in the comments section below!
And for more information about growing stonecrop in your landscape, check out these guides next:
