How to Grow Showy Stonecrop
Hylotelephium spectabile
Showy Stonecrop is a hardy, clump-forming succulent perennial with fleshy, grey-green leaves and broad, flat heads of starry pink flowers from late summer into autumn. Plant it in full sun in well-drained, even poor soil, water it in until settled, then leave it to cope with dry spells on its own. Skip the fertiliser, because rich soil makes the stems flop open. Butterflies and bees crowd onto the flowers in September, and the dried heads stay upright through winter. Cut the old stems to the ground in early spring as the new rosettes appear.
In your Leaftide garden 
- Height
- 45 cm
- Spread
- 45 cm
- Flowers
- August - October
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Feed
- Not needed
- Prune
- Cut to the ground in early spring
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Not needed. Lean, well-drained soil keeps the stems short and sturdy; feeding makes them soft and floppy.
Watch For
- Vine weevil grubs in pots
- Slugs and snails on spring shoots
- Crown and root rot in wet soil
- Stems flopping open in rich soil or shade
Companions
Ornamental grasses, Echinacea, Asters, Lavender, Salvia nemorosa
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun
Needs at least 6 hours of direct sun a day for sturdy stems and plenty of flowers. In part shade the stems stretch, lean towards the light and fall open.
Watering
Low; drought tolerant once established
Water regularly for the first few weeks after planting until new growth appears. After that, rainfall is usually enough and the fleshy leaves carry it through dry spells. Wet, waterlogged soil in winter is far more dangerous than drought.
Fertilizing
Not needed
Grows best in lean, well-drained soil. Feeding or rich, manured ground produces soft, lush stems that splay open under the weight of the flower heads. A thin layer of compost on very poor sand is the most it ever needs.
Pruning
Cut to the ground in early spring; optional Chelsea chop
Leave the dried flower heads standing over winter, then cut the old stems to the ground in late winter or early spring as the new rosettes show. Cutting the stems back by a third in late May gives shorter, sturdier plants that flower a little later.
Spacing
40-45 cm apart
Space plants 40-45 cm apart, or closer in groups of three for a fuller drift. Divide clumps in spring every 3-4 years when the centre starts to open out.
Support
Usually none needed
Plants in lean soil and full sun stand up on their own. In rich soil or partial shade, a Chelsea chop in late May or a low ring support in spring stops the heads flopping outwards.
Growing Tips
Lean soil, upright stems
Showy Stonecrop flops when it is too comfortable. Plant it in poor, gritty soil in full sun and skip the fertiliser and manure, and the flower heads will stay upright without staking.
Chelsea chop for sturdier plants
If your plants splayed open last autumn, cut the stems back by a third in late May. They flower about two weeks later on shorter, stronger stems.
Late-season pollinator magnet
The flat pink heads are packed with nectar in September, when little else is flowering. Expect butterflies such as red admirals and peacocks, plus bees and hoverflies, on sunny days.
Leave the seed heads standing
The flower heads dry to a rusty brown and hold their shape through winter, looking especially good with frost. Leave them until early spring, then cut back as the new rosettes appear.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Vine Weevil
Identification: Notched leaf edges from adults feeding at night; plants in pots wilt and collapse as cream, C-shaped larvae eat the fleshy roots.
- Water Steinernema kraussei nematodes into pots in late summer
- Pick off adults by torchlight and check root balls when repotting
- Acetamiprid-based vine weevil drench for containers
Pest Slugs and Snails
Identification: Ragged holes in the young fleshy shoots in spring; slime trails nearby.
- Apply Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita nematodes in spring
- Surround young clumps with grit and set beer traps
- Ferric phosphate slug pellets, used sparingly
Disease Crown and Root Rot
Symptoms: The centre of the clump turns soft, brown and mushy at soil level and stems collapse, usually after a wet winter.
Treatment: Lift the plant, cut away rotten parts and replant healthy pieces in gritty soil, or discard if badly affected.
Prevention: Plant in free-draining soil, add grit on heavy clay and never let pots sit in water.
Disease Powdery Mildew
Symptoms: White, dusty patches on leaves in late summer, mostly on crowded or stressed plants.
Treatment: Remove the worst affected leaves; the problem is usually cosmetic.
Prevention: Give plants space and good airflow and avoid feeding with nitrogen.
Popular Varieties
Brilliant
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Carmen
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Iceberg
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Stardust
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