ooo, I was going to ask about this. And where abouts you are (it makes a difference).
I have Autumn Joy in sandy soil, full sun, unwatered, established over two years. It has entirely withered. The succulent leaves a have used up all their stored juices and are now like floppy leather. I expected it to handle drought much better. I suspect low growing, small sedum might be tougher.
ooo, I was going to ask about this. And where abouts you are (it makes a difference).
I have Autumn Joy in sandy soil, full sun, unwatered, established over two years. It has entirely withered. The succulent leaves a have used up all their stored juices and are now like floppy leather. I expected it to handle drought much better. I suspect low growing, small sedum might be tougher.
Most hylotelephiums are from cooler temperate regions where rainfall is (or was) common. They're adapted for short droughts by storing water but they don't have the dry climate adaptions that cacti have and suffer from prolonged lack of water. They do better when treated like alpines in my garden. The native UK version of the garden plants we now grow are basically hedgerow plants and like a bit of shade, especially around their roots.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Another vote for Autumn Joy. I also have Jose Aubergine which seems to be doing ok. This is it's second year. https://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/products/sedum-jose-aubergine Strangely my sedum seemed to have survived very well in my full sun bed, where other plants have given up the ghost. I never water them.
I have got Sedum 'Matrona' which is my favourite, being purple flushed rather than a deep purple. I offloaded Sedum 'Jose Aubergine' to a raised bed at the community garden, in full sun, parched sandy soil, no irrigation, and it is one of the few plants that are flourishing. I can't comment on growing either on heavy clay.
Fire, are you sure there isn't something going on with your sedums? Vine weevils can sometimes go at them.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
All the sedums that I've got (Autumn Joy, Firecracker, Yellow Xenox, Cheery chocolate) seem to be doing fine in my clay soil (improved with compost and grit), south-facing garden. They got watered alongside the other perennials in the same bed about once a week before the hosepipe ban in the last heat wave, but didn't get deep watering at all. They are all getting quite big and a bit floppy.
@Fire, I'm in the West Midlands, near the Welsh border, so we've had more rain than down south. The sedums are in 2 areas in the garden: the 1st is next to some dianthus which did get some water during the heatwave (not a "proper soaking" though) so the sedums probably benefitted when I waved the watering can near them. The 2nd clump of sedums are in a more neglected part of the garden which is rarely weeded and some of the grass was as tall as the sedums, so the ground in that area didn't get as dry as the other beds.
Fire, are you sure there isn't something going on with your sedums? Vine weevils can sometimes go at them.
I think it's as Wild Edges says. Sedums aren't like cacti. I have pushed my expectations of them in a dry garden too far. I thought they were well suited, but I guess not. Rozanne has done well in the same spot.
I'll give them one more season and see how they do. They were wonderful last year, flowering from May to November with constant dead heading. But it was a wet year in London.
Posts
Most hylotelephiums are from cooler temperate regions where rainfall is (or was) common. They're adapted for short droughts by storing water but they don't have the dry climate adaptions that cacti have and suffer from prolonged lack of water. They do better when treated like alpines in my garden. The native UK version of the garden plants we now grow are basically hedgerow plants and like a bit of shade, especially around their roots.
https://www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk/products/sedum-jose-aubergine
Strangely my sedum seemed to have survived very well in my full sun bed, where other plants have given up the ghost. I never water them.
Fire, are you sure there isn't something going on with your sedums? Vine weevils can sometimes go at them.
The sedums are in 2 areas in the garden: the 1st is next to some dianthus which did get some water during the heatwave (not a "proper soaking" though) so the sedums probably benefitted when I waved the watering can near them.
The 2nd clump of sedums are in a more neglected part of the garden which is rarely weeded and some of the grass was as tall as the sedums, so the ground in that area didn't get as dry as the other beds.