Heat-resistant Plants: Sedum and Sempervivum

Credit: Barbra Fairclough

Long hours of sun reflecting off the south side of a house can make it a challenging location for putting in a garden

If you’re looking for plantings that can handle the heat, mix stonecrops (sedum) with hens and chicks (sempervivum) for interesting texture and colour. Both prefer lean, gravelly soil, are easy to grow and require virtually no care. The foliage of Sedum spathulifolium ‘Cape Blanco’ (zone 5) is almost white and offsets the dark rosettes of sempervivum handsomely. Combine with summer plantings of frost-tender echeveria and aloe for an exotic effect, but remember to bring these last two indoors for winter.