Incorporate Succulents
by Charlotte Nelson

ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED: 1997 Spring

Hardy Sedums, Hens and Chicks, and Hardy Cacti are very tolerant little plants that can add great interest to the garden and landscape. Because they require little care, these plants are ideal for busy people, for gardens at second homes, and for the disabled. For all of us, however, they give a great deal in return.

Hens and Chicks include the genuses Sempervivums, Orstachys, and Jovibarba. Their beauty is in their texture variations, which range from smooth to velvety, webbed to hairy, and in their leaf colors, which range from two-tone to silver-blue, purple, and red. In size these plants vary from miniature buttons to large rosettes, 5-7" across. An added surprise to all this foliage are the flowers in shades of rose, pink, and yellow that draw hummingbirds from July through September.

Like Hens and Chicks, Hardy Sedum have a variety of size, foliage type, and colors. Although my Sedum gardens are most spectacular in spring and early summer, many blossom all summer and fall. Some will hold their foliage all winter and remain blue, red, coral and green all year. I grow Sedums everywhere: in containers, on mossy rocks in three-quarters shade, in the cavities of weathered lime rocks, in problem areas (like the dry shade under roof overhangs), at the base of birdbaths, between pavers, and--not surprisingly--right in the sunny garden.

While they will grow just about anywhere, it is best to place Hens and Chicks as well as Sedum away from plants that will need watering, as they should not be watered. Natural rainfall is sufficient in our area. (Are these great plants or what?!) My plants are grown in a 50:50 mixture of pea gravel and potting soil, with an additional inch of pea gravel for the top dresssing. After buying a Sedum or Hens and Chicks, I advise that it be planted immediately but not watered. In three weeks it will form new roots.

All of these plants look best in clumps. If you would like to divide them after time, do so in the spring. Cut them with a knife rather than tearing them apart. After transplanting, it is normal that they lose some of their lower leaves. I like to grow these plants near half-buried rocks, so that their roots may grow under the rocks and stay cool in summer.

In addition to Hens and Chicks and Sedum, many types of Opuntia (Prickley Pear Cacti) grow well in my Wisconsin gardens. I'm blessed with beautiful flowers of yellow, gold, pink, red, and two-tones. Their pads vary in size, color and texture. I grow Opuntia in 2" of pea gravel which sits atop 4 mil. black plastic underlaid with more pea gravel. This method rarely requires weeding.

All the plants I've described grow year round in southwest Wisconsin. They can withstand drought as well as extreme cold and heat. In fact, if you put them into a cold frame or greenhouse--or if they are given too rich a soil, fertilizer, or excess water--their cells will grow too quickly and they will be unlikely to withstand our winters. Do not baby these babies!

I've been growing these fascinating plants for 30 years, and will be happy to answer questions from TWG readers. They are also invited to attend any of my garden tours (best times are May 10-25 for Hens & Chicks; June 14-22 for Sedum), or or send $2 for a mail-order catalog to: Alpine Gardens, 12446 County F, Stitzer, WI 53825 (608) 822-6382.

Charlotte Nelson is owner of Alpine Gardens, the Midwest's largest grower of alpine rock garden plants. Her other passion is quilting. In both, she explains, "you weave together different colors and textures for interesting effect."

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