Sedum kamtschaticum
Kamchatka stonecrop (Sedum kamtschaticum) is a ground cover plant that reaches 15 cm × 45 cm after ten years. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: high. Mildly toxic to children.
A low, dense, mat-forming succulent perennial that covers itself in golden yellow star flowers in summer and turns orange to reddish in autumn. It suits sunny, dry, lean spots such as rock gardens, gravel beds, wall tops and green roofs, where it needs almost no care. Most of the foliage dies back in winter, leaving only green shoot tips, and it will not put up with waterlogged soil.
| Group | Ground cover |
| Light | Full sun |
| Size after 10 years | 15 cm × 45 cm |
| Ultimate size | 8–18 cm × 25–45 cm |
| Hardiness | down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7) |
| Soil | Average garden soil, Sandy |
| Foliage | Semi-evergreen |
| Flowering | June–August, yellow |
| Water need | Low |
| Drought tolerance | High |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Root aggressiveness | Low |
| Suckering | no data |
| Spreading | Medium |
| Distance from buildings | no data |
| Distance from paving | no data |
| Litter | not typical |
| Planting distance | 30 cm |
| For dogs | Non-toxic (uncertain) |
| For cats | Non-toxic (uncertain) |
| For children | Mildly toxic |
| Typical price | no data |
Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.
Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made
Ground cover plants against weeds: which goes where, and how many you need
A ground cover keeps weeds out once it has closed up: until then, usually for two or three summers, it needs mulch and weeding. Under trees and in shade, lesser periwinkle, bigroot geranium, barrenwort and barren strawberry do best; in sunny, dry places stonecrops, thymes and creeping junipers. Most perennial ground covers take 9-18 plants per square metre. The tables work out what a square metre costs at today's shop prices in your country.
Building a rock garden: stone, soil and plants step by step
A rock garden belongs on a sunny, gentle slope, in lean, free-draining soil: one third garden soil, one third coarse sand, one third crushed stone. Lay the stones, all of one kind, in layers leaning the same way and sunk a third to a half into the ground, so that about two fifths of the surface is stone. Four to six plants per square metre are enough: creeping junipers and grasses make the frame, and between them cushion perennials, stonecrops and thymes flower from March to October.
Besides the cookies the site needs to work, we would like to use analytics and advertising cookies (Google, Facebook), if you allow it. Details