This species is often treated as being in a more loosely defined definition of the genus Sedum as Sedum erythrostictum Miq. We are following the treatment in the Flora of China[] and the Flora of N. America[] which treat the genus Sedum in a stricter sense and move various species from there into a number of other species, including Hylotelephium[].

Common Name:

General Information

Hylotelephium erythrostictum is a succulent, herbaceous, perennial plant growing from a cluster of carrot-shaped tuberous roots; it produces a cluster of erect, unbranched stems 30 - 70cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild, and also occasionally cultivated, for medicinal use. It is often grown as an ornamental in gardens[].

Known 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[]. This is most likely to happen with species that have yellow flowers, though eating large quantities of any species could be problematic[, ].

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East, China, Japan, Korea.

Habitat

Grasslands, sides of ravines; at elevations from 400 - 1,800 metres[]. Stony and sandy soils at moistened sites on seashores and in river valleys[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Hylotelephium erythrostictum is a moderately cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to around -20°c when dormant[].
Grows best in a sunny position, but tolerant of light shade[, ]. Succeeds in most soils[] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil, succeeding in dry soils but preferring one that does not dry out completely[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[]. Plants can be grown on walls[].
The plant is sometimes cultivated for its medicinal uses, especially in southern China[]. It is often grown as an ornamental, there are some named varieties[, ]. It is often grown in pots on house roofs in China because it is believed to protect the house from fire[].
This species has white to pink flowers[]. 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[, ].
Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].

Edible Uses

Young plant - cooked. A bitterish-sweet taste, they can be eaten after scalding[]. A famine food, it is only used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

The leaves are used in the treatment of fevers, inflammations and wounds[, ]. The leaf juice is applied to burns and eruptions[].

The flowers are used in the treatment of vaginal fluxes, nervous afflictions of children, corneal opacity and prolapse of the genitals following labour[, ].

The whole plant is crushed and used as a poultice on inflammations, burns etc[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in 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. If sufficient growth is made, it is possible to plant them out during the summer, otherwise keep them in a cold-frame or greenhouse for their first winter and plant them out in early summer of the following year[].
Division is very easy and can be carried out at almost any time in the growing season, though is probably best done in spring or early summer. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found it best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.