Sedum × battandieri
Biting Stonecrop
Sedum acre
L. Species
- Botanical name
- Sedum acre
- Also known as
- Biting Stonecrop, Gold Moss Stonecrop, Golden Carpet, Goldmoss Stonecrop, Mossy Stonecrop, Mountain-Moss, Orpin Acre, Stonecrop, Wall Pepper, Wall-Grass, Wall-Pepper
- Family
- Crassulaceae
- Genus
- Sedum
- Flowering period
- June to July
- Height
- 5–10 cm
- Spread
- 30–60 cm
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy (RHS H7)
- Reference
- World Flora Online
How to grow Biting Stonecrop
Full sun
Very low; thrives on drought
Poor, sharply drained, gritty or sandy
Neutral to alkaline
Planting
Plant in spring or summer into gravel, wall crevices, the top of a dry stone wall, a sink garden or a green roof. It needs no soil depth to speak of and will fail in rich moist ground. Simply pressing pieces of stem onto grit is usually enough to establish it.
Pruning
No pruning needed. Pull out unwanted spreading growth by hand where it strays.
Propagation
Extremely easy: detached shoots root wherever they land. Scatter stem pieces on gritty compost or press them into gaps in spring or summer.
Pests and diseases
Essentially trouble-free. It rots only where drainage is poor.
Value to wildlife
The mass of small yellow flowers is worked by bees, hoverflies and small solitary bees, and it is a mainstay of wildlife green roofs.
Notes
It spreads readily and can colonise paths, gravel and neighbouring alpines, so keep it away from small choice plants. The common name refers to the acrid taste of the sap; wash your hands after handling and check its toxicity before growing it where children have access.
This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.
Other names for this plant
These names have all been used for Sedum acre but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.
Sedum acre subsp. neglectum
Sedum acre var. robustum
Sedum drucei
Sedum erectum
Sedum glaciale
Sedum krajinae
Sedum neglectum
Sedum procumbens
Sedum robustum
Sedum wettsteinii
Sedum zlatiborense
Others in Sedum
GardenDecoded is an educational gardening reference. Botanical data comes from World Flora Online and GBIF; growing guidance is our own. Always check a plant's toxicity and local invasiveness status before planting, and never eat or apply a plant based on this site alone.