This species is often treated as being in a more loosely defined definitition of the genus Sedum as Sedum stoloniferum S.G.Gmel. 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 Phedimus[].

Common Name:

General Information

Phedimus stoloniferus is a succulent, mat-forming, evergreen perennial plant with slender, fibrous roots and a long, creeping, cord-like rhizome. The erect flowering stems are 17 - 35cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental in gardens[].
Phedimus stoloniferus has become established as a weed of pasture in Switzerland, being found in a wide range of grassland and woodland habitats in the northern Prealps at elevations from 400 - 1,000 metres. It is an aggressive neophyte that out-competes native grassland species, strongly hampering agricultural use of invaded grasslands. It easily propagates through its stolons, which can still become established after being detached from the mother plant for many days - it has the potential to become a threat to agricultural production and conservation of biodiversity in large areas of Europe. Repeated herbicide applications do not totally eliminate the plant, which is able to recover from axillary buds and recolonise the sward. Successful eradication was only achieved by covering the affected area with black plastic for four months, a control strategy with very limited applicability[].

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

Range

W. Asia - Caucasus to Iran

Habitat

Stony soils in meadows and woodlands in the middle and lower mountain zones; at elevations from 600 - 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Phedimus stoloniferus is a moderately cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to around -15°c when dormant[].
Succeeds in most soils[] but prefers a fertile well-drained soil in a sunny position[]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[], they grow well in dry soils and can be grown on a wall or in crevices in a rock garden[].
This plant often disappears from its planted position and then turns up in a new location, are birds responsible for this[]?
Closely related to Phedimus spurius[].
This species has 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

Leaves - raw or cooked.
The crushed leaves are used as a leaven for yoghourts and cheese[].

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[].

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.