How to Grow and Care for SunSparkler Dazzleberry Sedum
Achieve a healthy, dense mat of SunSparkler Dazzleberry Sedum. This guide covers essential techniques for vibrant color and vigorous, trouble-free growth.
SunSparkler® Dazzleberry Sedum is a cultivar known for its visual characteristics. This plant emerges in spring with smoky blue-grey foliage that forms a dense, low-spreading mat. The foliage retains its color throughout the growing season. In late summer, large, vibrant raspberry-colored flower clusters emerge, which can be up to nine inches in diameter.
This plant is part of the SunSparkler® series of sedums, developed by breeder Chris Hansen. The series is known for its range of colorful foliage and compact, groundcover forms. Dazzleberry Sedum grows to about eight inches tall and can spread to eighteen inches wide, making it an effective groundcover. Its low, creeping habit is suitable for the front of perennial borders, rock gardens, or for covering small areas with color.
Planting and General Care
This plant requires a location with full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Adequate sun exposure develops the deep foliage color and encourages prolific blooming. While it can live in partial shade, the growth may become less compact and the foliage color less intense. In very hot summer climates, a bit of light afternoon shade can be beneficial.
Providing well-draining soil is an important factor for success. Sedums are succulents and are intolerant of wet soils, which can lead to root rot. If you have heavy clay soil, amend it with coarse sand or compost to improve its texture and drainage. This plant thrives in average to lean soils and does not require a rich growing medium.
Once established, Dazzleberry Sedum is very drought-tolerant. For the first growing season, water the plant regularly to help it establish a strong root system. After the first year, you only need to water during extended dry periods. This plant has low fertilizer needs, as rich soil or excessive fertilizing can lead to weak, floppy stems.
This sedum is a perennial in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 and can withstand cold temperatures down to -25°C. When planting for a groundcover effect, space individual plants about 12 to 18 inches apart. This spacing allows them to grow together and form a continuous mat.
Pruning and Maintenance
This sedum requires very little pruning. The primary upkeep is cutting back the old stems from the previous year’s growth in late winter or early spring, just before new shoots emerge. This simple haircut removes the dormant top growth and encourages healthier, more vigorous growth for the upcoming season.
Unlike many other flowering perennials, deadheading, or removing spent flowers, is not necessary. The dried flower heads hold their shape well and can be left on the plant through the fall and winter. These structures provide visual interest in the dormant garden by catching frost and snow.
How to Propagate
Propagating new plants from Dazzleberry Sedum is a straightforward process. The most common method is through stem cuttings, taken in the spring or summer. Select a healthy, non-flowering stem and cut a section that is a few inches long. Remove the leaves from the lower portion of the cutting.
After taking the cuttings, let them sit in a dry, shaded place for a day or two. This allows the cut end to dry and form a callus, which helps prevent rot. Once calloused, the cuttings can be inserted into a well-draining potting mix or a prepared spot in the garden. Sedums root very easily, and you should see signs of new growth within a few weeks.
Common Issues
The most frequent problem with Dazzleberry Sedum is root rot, caused by overwatering or planting in soil that does not drain properly. As a succulent, the plant’s roots cannot tolerate sitting in waterlogged soil. Ensuring the plant is in a porous, well-draining medium is the best preventative measure.
Another common issue is leggy or stretched-out growth. This happens when the plant does not receive enough sunlight. In lower light conditions, the stems will stretch as they search for more light, resulting in a sparse, less attractive plant with weaker stems. Moving the plant to a sunnier location will resolve this and encourage the desired compact, mounding habit. Pests are not a significant problem, though aphids may occasionally appear.