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Useful Temperate Plants

Phedimus spurius

(M.Bieb.) ʼt Hart

Crassulaceae


This species is often treated as being in a more loosely defined definitition of the genus Sedum as Sedum spurium M.Bieb. We are following the treatment in the Flora of China[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
] and the Flora of N. America[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
] which treat the genus Sedum in a stricter sense and move various species from there into a number of other species, including Phedimus[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

+ Synonyms

Anacampseros ciliaris Haw.

Anacampseros dentata Haw.

Anacampseros spuria (M.Bieb.) Haw.

Asterosedum spurium (M.Bieb.) Grulich

Crassula crenata Desf.

Phedimus crenatus (Desf.) V.V.Byalt

Sedum ciliare (Haw.) Sweet

Sedum congestum K.Koch ex Boiss.

Sedum crenatum (Desf.) Boiss.

Sedum dentatum (Haw.) DC.

Sedum denticulatum Donn ex Haw.

Sedum lazicum Boiss.

Sedum oppositifolium Sims

Sedum spurium M.Bieb.

Spathulata spuria (M.Bieb.) Á.Löve & D.Löve

Common Name: Caucasian Stonecrop

No Image.

General Information

Phedimus spurius is an evergreen perennial plant with slender, fibrous roots and a long, creeping rhizome. A mat-forming plant with prostrate to ascending stems, producing short sterile stems and longer flowering stems 3 - 6cm long[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The plant is grown on a commercial basis for use in 'green roof' systems, and is often grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used as a ground cover[
74
Title
Flora of the USSR.
Publication
 
Author
Komarov. V. L.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Israel Program for Scientific Translation
Year
1968
ISBN
-
Description
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
,
1240
Title
Cold Tolerance of Ground Cover Plants for Use as Green Roofs and Walls
Publication
Kor. J. Hort. Sci. Technol. 32(5):590-599, 2014
Author
Ju Hyun Ryu; Hyo Beom Lee; Cheol Min Kim; Hyun Hwan Jung; an
Website
http://dx.doi.org/10.7235/hort.2014.14035
Publisher
 
Year
2014
ISBN
1226-8763
Description
 
].

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[
293
Title
Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
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.
]. This is most likely to happen with species that have yellow flowers, though eating large quantities of any species could be problematic[
62
Title
A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P.
Publisher
Van Nostrand Reinhold
Year
1982
ISBN
0442222009
Description
Very readable.
,
85
Title
Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
Publication
 
Author
Harrington. H. D.
Publisher
University of New Mexico Press
Year
1967
ISBN
0-8623-0343-9
Description
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
].

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

W. Asia - Ciscaucasia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Iran

Habitat

Rocks in moist regions in the middle and upper alpine zones[
83
Title
Handbook of Cultivated Sedums.
Publication
 
Author
Evans. R. L.
Publisher
Science Reviews
Year
1983
ISBN
-
Description
Deals with the genus Sedum. Fairly easy reading, it gives cultivation details and some notes on habitats.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Perennial
Height0.10 m
PollinatorsInsects
Self-fertileYes
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Phedimus spurius is a moderately cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to around -15°c when dormant.
Grows best in a sunny position, but tolerates partial shade[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
]. Succeeds in most soils[
188
Title
The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Brickell. C.
Publisher
Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
Year
1990
ISBN
0-86318-386-7
Description
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Established plants are drought tolerant[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Tolerates poor soils[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].
Sometimes grown as an ornamental, there are some named forms[
352
Title
KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].
A mat-forming plant, it is very invasive[
83
Title
Handbook of Cultivated Sedums.
Publication
 
Author
Evans. R. L.
Publisher
Science Reviews
Year
1983
ISBN
-
Description
Deals with the genus Sedum. Fairly easy reading, it gives cultivation details and some notes on habitats.
].
The flowers of this species are white or pink[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. 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[
62
Title
A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Elias. T. and Dykeman. P.
Publisher
Van Nostrand Reinhold
Year
1982
ISBN
0442222009
Description
Very readable.
,
85
Title
Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains.
Publication
 
Author
Harrington. H. D.
Publisher
University of New Mexico Press
Year
1967
ISBN
0-8623-0343-9
Description
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
].
Plants in this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[
233
Title
Perennial Garden Plants
Publication
 
Author
Thomas. G. S.
Publisher
J. M. Dent & Sons, London.
Year
1990
ISBN
0 460 86048 8
Description
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked. The leaves are thick and juicy but somewhat astringent and with a slight bitterness[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].

Medicinal

We have seen no specific reports on medicinal uses for this species, but Sedum species (including Hylotelephium and Phedimus) generally contain various medicinally active compounds including alkaloids, tannins, cyanogenic compounds and, in particular, a range of flavanoids with anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties Many Sedum species are used medicinally to treat pain and inflammation – in addition a poultice made from the crushed, succulent leaves and young stems can be applied topically to cuts, wounds, burns and various skin disorders[
1248
Title
Urban Herbs
Publication
 
Author
Adriane Fugh-Berman MD.
Website
https://sites.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/urban-herbs/
Publisher
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A website with information on over 60 medicinal herb species grown at Georgetown University
].

Agroforestry Uses:

Plants can be used as a ground cover plant in a sunny position[
197
Title
Ground Cover Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Royal Horticultural Society.
Publisher
Cassells.
Year
1989
ISBN
0-304-31089-1
Description
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.
,
208
Title
Plants for Ground Cover
Publication
 
Author
Thomas. G. S.
Publisher
J. M. Dent & Sons
Year
1990
ISBN
0-460-12609-1
Description
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.
]. They will require weeding for the first year or so[
197
Title
Ground Cover Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Royal Horticultural Society.
Publisher
Cassells.
Year
1989
ISBN
0-304-31089-1
Description
A handy little booklet from the R.H.S.
].
The plant is used on 'green roof' and 'green wall' systems. These systems are incorporated into the structure of the building, providing habitats for wildlife as well as insulating the building and helping to improve the environment. The cultivars 'Broadleaf', 'Coccineum', 'Dragon's Blood', 'Green Mental' and 'Summer Glory' have been specifically mentioned1240,
1241
Title
Assessment of Sedum Plants Covering as Ground Cover Plants on Extensive Green Roof System
Publication
 
Author
Inhea Kim; K.Y.Huh
Website
DOI: 10.11628/ksppe.2015.18.6.481
Publisher
 
Year
2015
ISBN
 
Description
 
]

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[
K
Title
Plants for a Future
Author
Ken Fern
Description
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
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.
Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Phedimus+spurius>

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