How to Grow and Care for Sedum ‘Shooting Star’
Learn the essential techniques for a thriving Sedum 'Shooting Star', from providing well-draining soil to using its colorful, trailing form in your garden.
Learn the essential techniques for a thriving Sedum 'Shooting Star', from providing well-draining soil to using its colorful, trailing form in your garden.
Sedum ‘Shooting Star’ (Sedum sieboldii ‘Shooting Star’) is a perennial known for its distinct foliage and late-season blooms. Its blue-green, rounded leaves are edged in pink and form whorls around the stems. This coloration intensifies with increased sun exposure. As summer ends, the plant produces clusters of bright pink, star-shaped flowers that persist into the fall.
Position ‘Shooting Star’ in full sun for the most vibrant foliage color and a compact form. While it can tolerate light shade, ample sunlight prevents the stems from becoming elongated and weak. This exposure enhances the pink margins on its leaves, which can deepen to a reddish hue. In autumn, the foliage transitions to an orange-red, contrasting with its pink flowers.
This succulent demands well-draining soil and is susceptible to root rot in waterlogged conditions. For garden beds, amend the native soil with coarse sand or perlite to improve drainage. When grown in containers, use a commercial cactus or succulent potting mix to ensure proper drainage.
Water this plant using the “drench and dry” method. Water thoroughly until the soil is saturated, then allow it to dry out completely before watering again. This mimics the arid conditions succulents are adapted to. Overwatering is a common problem, leading to yellowing, mushy leaves. A reliable indicator of thirst is when the leaves become slightly wrinkled.
‘Shooting Star’ is a deciduous perennial recommended for USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9. The plant dies back to the ground after a hard frost and re-emerges with new growth in the spring. It is a resilient choice for many gardens, withstanding cold temperatures as low as -10°C.
This sedum has a mounding and trailing growth habit. It forms a neat mound as stems arch from a central crown, reaching heights of 6 to 10 inches and spreading 12 to 18 inches wide. This cascading form makes it well-suited for spilling over the edges of containers or retaining walls.
Pruning is minimal and performed for aesthetic reasons or to encourage denser growth. To promote a bushier plant, pinch back the stems in spring as new growth emerges, which encourages branching. After the plant dies back in winter, trim away any remaining dead stems to tidy the area before new growth begins.
Propagating ‘Shooting Star’ is easily accomplished through stem cuttings, making it a great project for any gardener. The best time to take cuttings is in early summer from non-flowering shoots. This timing ensures the plant is in a state of active growth.
To propagate from cuttings:
‘Shooting Star’ has numerous applications in garden design. In container arrangements, its trailing stems serve as an excellent “spiller,” cascading over the pot’s edge and complementing taller plants. Its drought tolerance makes it a practical choice for pots that dry out quickly. This sedum is also effective when planted in the crevices of rock walls or between pavers to soften hard lines.
For broader garden areas, it functions well as a groundcover in dry, sunny spots where other plants might struggle. Its mounding habit creates a textured carpet of blue-green foliage. It can also be used as an edging plant along the front of a sunny border to provide a clean, defined line and seasonal interest.