PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Crassulaceae FAMILY

Sedum cepaea

Sedum cepaea

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

All species in the genus Sedum (including the closely allied genera such as Hylotelephium and Phedimus) have more or less edible leaves and young flowering stems, though they are not always totally desireable with several species having bitter, acrid or peppery flavours! However, the plants contain various alkaloids including sedine and sedamine. These can sometimes cause gastric upsets, usually of a mild nature[1]. This is most likely to happen with species that have yellow flowers, though eating large quantities of any species could be problematic[2, 3].

Cultivation Details

HabitAnnual
Growth—

Sedum cepaea is a moderately cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to around -15°c when dormant[4]. Most Sedum species will grow best if given a moist, but well-drained, fairly fertile soil in a sunny position[4]. Many of the species will do well in quite dry positions, in poor soils and in light shade - see notes on the plant's habitat for ideas about this[PFAF]. Most species are somewhat to very drought tolerant[4]. This species has pink flowers[4]. All members of this genus are said to have edible leaves, though those species that have yellow flowers can cause stomach upsets if they are eaten in quantity[2, 3]. Species in this genus are often specially targeted by slugs[4]. Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[5].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in early spring in well-drained soil in a sunny position in a greenhouse. Do not allow the soil to dry out. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant out in late spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Sedum+cepaea>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Poisonous Plants of North Carolina — http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm ↩︎An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes.
  2. [2]A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. — Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. · Van Nostrand Reinhold · 1982 · ISBN 0442222009 ↩︎Very readable.
  3. [3]Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. — Harrington. H. D. · University of New Mexico Press · 1967 · ISBN 0-8623-0343-9 ↩︎A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  6. [6]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  7. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎