Sedum album – Baby Tears Stonecrop
I once heard it said that Sedum is so hardy it’s called stonecrop because the only thing easier to look after are stones! Others believe the name comes from the way Sedums store water in their fleshy leaves, giving them a plump, stone-like appearance. Whatever the origin, one thing is certain: Sedum album is one of the hardiest and easiest succulents you can grow. It’s equally at home cascading over rocks, forming a dense ground cover in the garden, or thriving in pots, and it always looks good while doing it.
Commonly known as Baby Tears Stonecrop, Sedum album is a low-growing, mat-forming succulent that adapts beautifully to a wide range of Australian garden conditions. Its small, bead-like leaves are designed to store moisture, making it exceptionally drought-tolerant once established.
Colour Changes Through the Seasons
One of the most charming qualities of Sedum album is its ever-changing colour palette. Depending on the growing conditions, the leaves can shift from fresh green to reddish bronze, golden yellow, or even soft pink hues. Full sun and stress often bring out the striking bronze and red tones.Cooler weather can encourage shades of pink and gold while shadier, moist conditions usually keep the foliage lush green.
In our garden in Victoria, where we enjoy higher rainfall and nutrient-rich soil, Sedum album generally stays a healthy green (as shown in image 2). However, we notice plants exposed to full sun or clinging to rocks often turn that lovely reddish bronze (see image 3). This colour-changing ability means no two patches of Sedum album look exactly alike—perfect for creating seasonal interest in your garden.
Growth Habits and Benefits
Sedum album is a natural weed suppressant, forming a thick, living carpet that smothers unwanted growth. Its trailing habit allows it to spill gracefully over rockeries, walls, and garden edges, while also being tough enough to handle exposed, dry spots where little else will grow. It’s also frost-tolerant, making it a reliable choice across much of Australia.
They’re particularly effective when planted alongside other low-growing succulents such as Sedum acre, Delosperma, or Lampranthus. While they mix beautifully, we recommend planting each with some space around them too—Sedum album has such a charming look on its own that it deserves to shine by itself.
Flowers and Pollinator Friendly
In summer, Sedum album produces clusters of tiny star-shaped white flowers that cover the plant in a frothy display. These blooms are highly attractive to bees and other beneficial pollinators, adding biodiversity to your garden. The flowering carpet is especially striking against its colourful foliage, giving you year-round appeal
Sedum album plants for sale shown in 70mm pot. You will receive same or similar plants to those shown in images 6 onward. First 5 images for display only, to show you some of the different colours of this plant due to seasonal changes and growing conditions in our garden in Victoria.
First time customers... Please read our Shipping Guide, in top or bottom menu, before placing your order.
Please Note:
- All plants are sent bare rooted with no pots and soil, or minimum soil only.
- Due to the drying process necessary for sending plants through the mail, plants may look slightly different than images shown on our website
- Some plants, may look wrinkled when they arrive, may be somewhat limp, or soft to the touch. This is normal as they have been dried out for for a number of days before shipping to avoid rotting in the mail.
- Succulents are very hardy plants and they will recover quickly, providing you unpack them as soon as you receive them follow some simple care instructions you will find with your order.
If you have any questions or concerns at all, please message us via our Facebook page at John & Norma's Succulents for the fastest Response.