Sedum 'Ogon' (Sedum makinoi)
Sedum 'Ogon is a golden-leaved selection of the creeping Japanese stonecrop Sedum makinoi. Grown for its bright chartreuse-to-gold foliage, it is prized as a low, spreading groundcover and as a "spiller" that trails over the edges of mixed containers. Its care follows that of the parent species, Sedum makinoi.
Description
Like the species, Sedum 'Ogon' is a low, mat-forming succulent with slender, creeping stems that root as they run. The small, rounded to spoon-shaped leaves are held in neat pairs along the stems. The distinguishing trait is colour: rather than the plain green of typical makinoi, 'Ogon' emerges a soft golden-yellow to bright chartreuse, warming toward richer gold in strong light and softening to lime-green in shade. Small, star-shaped yellow flowers may appear in the warmer months, but the plant is grown chiefly for its foliage.
The growth stays close to the ground, forming a dense, spreading carpet that spills attractively over the lip of a pot or the edge of a wall.
Cultivation
Grow Sedum 'Ogon' as for the parent species, Sedum makinoi. It is an easy, forgiving succulent that thrives in a free-draining mix and appreciates regular but moderate water during the growing season, drying out somewhat between drinks. It tolerates more moisture than many succulents but still resents standing wet, which invites rot.
Light is the key to keeping the golden colour: bright light, including some direct sun, brings out the warmest tones, while too much shade fades the gold toward ordinary green and can make growth leggy. In very intense, hot-summer sun the tender foliage can scorch, so a little afternoon shade in the fiercest climates helps preserve the colour without bleaching. 'Ogon' can be grown outdoors year-round in mild-temperate gardens, but it is less cold-hardy than many common groundcover sedums and is easily kept in containers where winters are colder. See Repotting for general technique.
Because it roots so readily along its stems, 'Ogon' is simple to increase from stem cuttings or by dividing rooted pieces of the mat; see also Propagation — offsets. Cultivars like this are maintained vegetatively so that the golden colour comes true, rather than from seed.
See also
- Sedum — the genus overview
- Propagation — cuttings · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting