Hylotelephium sieboldii (syn. Sedum sieboldii)
After a long hot summer, you may be ready to dig your fingers into the soil once again – and what better way to celebrate than to add October daphne (Hylotelephium sieboldii) to your ornamental garden?
This perennial with the autumnal name adds beautiful hues to the yard with large, pink flower clusters and red-tinted, blue-green foliage, both of which make it a desirable ground cover.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
Also known as Japanese stonecrop, this attractive succulent blooms in September and October, ideal for adding color to the fall garden.
When in bloom, the foliage tends to color up into rosy hues of red, orange, pink, or purple.
Our guide to growing stonecrop covers how to cultivate the diverse range of plants known by this common name.
Whether you’ve already picked up a tray of October daphne from your local nursery or you’re still in the planning phase, this article covers everything you need to know to add this plant to your landscape.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
What You’ll Learn
Formerly classified as Sedum sieboldii, October daphne is a low-growing perennial that reaches nine inches high and up to 18 inches wide at maturity.
The succulent leaves grow on long, arching stems which radiate from a central point.
They are blueish-green with pink margins, and the plant produces showy clusters of pink flowers in the fall.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Japanese stonecrop, October daphne, October stonecrop, Siebold’s sedum, Siebold’s stonecrop
Plant type: Succulent
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 3-9
Native to: China, Japan
Bloom time / season: Fall
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil type: Loose, well-draining; Cactus and succulent mix
Soil pH: 6.0-8.0, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline
Time to maturity: 2-3 years
Mature size: 6-9 inches tall by 12-18 inches wide
Best uses: Container gardens, cottage gardens, ground covers, mass plantings, pollinator gardens, rock gardens, xeriscaping
Taxonomy
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Hylotelephium (syn. Sedum)
Species: Sieboldii
Native to Japan and China, Japanese stonecrop has a wide variety of uses.
Grown in a pollinator garden, the showy pink blooms attract bees and butterflies, or add it to a cottage garden for ornamental interest.
It’s also an ideal option for rock gardens or as part of a drought-tolerant xeriscape.
Hardy in Zones 3 to 9, this low maintenance plant has a mounding and spreading growth habit, perfect as a ground cover when growing conditions are right.
It can also be grown in container gardens or allowed to trail out of hanging baskets.
October daphne has a number of common names: Japanese stonecrop, October stonecrop, Siebold’s sedum, and Siebold’s stonecrop.
The specific epithet sieboldii honors Philipp Franz von Siebold, a 19th century German physician, botanist and traveler, notable for his botanical work in Japan.
Keep reading to learn how to grow this stonecrop:
How to Grow
Like most stonecrops, October daphne is easy to grow and requires little input from the gardener if provided with the right conditions.
Light
October stonecrop isn’t quite as demanding as some succulents when it comes to sunshine, as long as it receives at least two hours of direct sunlight per day.
Plant in full sun or part shade. In hot locations, October daphne can benefit from part shade, especially from the hot afternoon sun.
Soil
Adaptable to a soil pH range of 6.0 to 8.0, October daphne thrives in loamy, sandy soils provided it has excellent drainage.
Learn how to prepare soil for outdoor succulent gardens here.
For container cultivation, choose a well-draining product suitable for cacti and succulents or make your own succulent potting soil.
Water
Once established, October daphne is drought-tolerant and needs very little supplemental watering.
Allow the soil to dry out in between waterings and be sure to plant it in a location that drains well or rotting will be an issue.
Fertilizer
October daphne thrives in lean soils, so you generally won’t need to add any fertilizer. In fact, too much fertilizer can cause the plants to become floppy.
If the plant fails to bloom despite all its other growing requirements being met, you can work an inch of compost into the soil once a year.
Where to Buy
There are two commonly available options – the species plant and a variegated form.
The straight species has blueish green leaves that appear in whorls. You can often find plants available at nurseries that stock a good selection of succulents.
Variegated October stonecrop, H. sieboldii f. variegatum is a naturally occurring form with bluish-green leaves that have cream colored splotches in their centers.
You can find variegated October daphne in two-inch nursery pots available from EKT Nursery via Walmart.
Maintenance
A good rule of thumb is to divide established plants every three to four years – however, you can divide it sooner, as described below, if the plant begins to look bare in the middle.
As for pruning, the stems of October daphne will die back during the winter, and new growth will appear in springtime.
Wait until early spring to trim back any dead foliage, so birds can use the seeds as food over winter.
If you live in the colder end of the recommended hardiness range, it’s a good idea to mulch around the plant in winter to protect it from cold snaps.
Learn more about caring for succulents in winter here.
Propagation
October stonecrop can be propagated from seed, stem cuttings, and by division.
From Seed
To start from seed, you’ll need seeds, a seed-starting medium, and trays or small nursery pots.
Start this project in late winter or early spring to allow the seedlings to size up before the following winter.
- Fill the nursery pots or trays with a moist succulent and cactus potting mix.
- Scatter the seeds on the surface of the soil, then cover with a humidity dome.
- Place the nursery pots in a warm location with bright, indirect light and keep the medium moist until germination, which usually happens in about two to three weeks.
- After eight weeks, start to acclimate the seedlings to more intense lighting and gradually remove the humidity dome, but keep the growing medium moist.
When the seedlings are a few inches tall, reduce watering and start to harden them off to prepare for transplanting.
Learn more about growing succulents from seed here.
From Stem Cuttings
You can take stem cuttings in summer. You’ll need three- to six-inch stem cuttings, a succulent and cactus growing medium, and nursery pots or tray.
- Fill the nursery pots or tray with growing medium, poke a hole in the center of the pot, and insert the cutting.
- Don’t water right away, instead, wait a week before watering, then keep the growing medium moist but not waterlogged.
- Within eight weeks the cutting should produce roots. You can check by giving it a gentle tug, if it resists then you can be sure the roots are developing.
When roots have developed you can transplant the cuttings into individual pots or out into the garden.
Find out how to propagate succulents from stem cuttings here.
By Division
October daphne plants can be divided in the spring to propagate new plants for other locations in your garden, and give current plantings more room.
You can use a hori hori knife to dig up the clump and divide it into smaller clumps to plant elsewhere.
Learn more about dividing sedums here.
Transplanting
Whether you’re transplanting October daphne into a larger pot or into the ground, make sure the soil is well draining.
Dig a hole as deep as the nursery pot and twice as wide, or if planting into a container, remove enough growing medium to accommodate the size of the nursery pot.
Remove the plant from its pot and loosen the soil from the outer edge of the root ball.
Insert the root ball, backfill with soil, taking care not to cover the foliage or stems, and hold off on watering for a week.
Pests and Disease
While October daphne isn’t particularly targeted by most pests or diseases, there are a few garden challenges you should know about.
Pests
Most succulents seem to be targeted by the same types of insect pests.
Watch out for aphids, scale insects, and mealybugs, all of which can – quite literally – suck the life out of these plants.
Inspect the undersides of the leaves as well as the stems for signs of pests, preferably before you bring the plants from home from the nursery.
You can use a strong spray of water from the hose to dislodge aphids and mealybugs. Scale insects can be removed using a cotton bud dipped in isopropyl alcohol.
If your garden seems prone to pest infestations, consider incorporating more plants that will attract beneficial insects to serve as natural pest control.
Slugs and snails may make an appearance, chewing the foliage and leaving it looking unsightly.
Disease
October daphne tends to be disease free when grown in ideal conditions – that’s to say, in a well-draining soil that’s allowed to dry between waterings.
When conditions remain oversaturated for too long, these plants can develop root or crown rot, and once they start to rot, it can be impossible to save them.
Learn how to prevent and manage rotting in succulents here.
Isn’t She Pretty in Pink?
I think you’ll agree that October daphne is a charmer. The pink flowers and rosy foliage adds ornamental charm to the fall landscape without much input from the gardener.
Are you growing October daphne as a ground cover in a perennial bed full of autumn color, or have you included this fall bloomer in a rock garden?
Let us know in the comments section below. And if you have any questions, feel free to drop them there as well.
And if you need more information about growing stonecrop in the garden, check out these guides next:
