Autumn Joy Sedum

Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'

flower

Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude', long sold as Sedum) is the classic upright stonecrop and one of the most dependable late-season plants in the garden. All summer it forms tidy 18 to 24 in. mounds of thick, succulent blue-green leaves topped by flat broccoli-like flower heads that open soft pink in late summer, deepen to rose, and age to coppery rust that stands all winter. Those late flowers are a vital landing pad and nectar source for honeybees, native bees, hoverflies, and butterflies at a time when most flowers are spent. Tough, drought-proof, and deer-resistant.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• New England Aster — Both peak in fall and together feed late-season bees and butterflies
• Fireworks Goldenrod — Gold sprays beside the rosy sedum heads, a strong native fall pollinator combo
• Walker's Low Catmint — Soft early-season foil that shares the lean, dry, sunny conditions
• Purple Coneflower — Summer bloom and winter seed heads alongside the sedums fall show

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Black aphids appear mostly on plants grown in too much shade - move to full sun and blast colonies off with water

• Mealybugs and scale →

  Wipe off small infestations; keep plants healthy and in good airflow

• Slugs →

  Can chew the succulent leaves in damp shade - improve drainage and sun, and use grit or traps

🌸 Blooms & cutting

Autumn Joy is excellent both fresh and dried - cut the heads when they have colored up to rose, in the cool morning; they last long in the vase and dry to a lasting russet. In the garden, leave the flower heads standing through winter: they hold snow beautifully, feed the last pollinators, and shelter insects. Cut the old stems back in early spring. A Chelsea-chop in early summer prevents flopping if needed.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Autumn Joy sedum is one of the most important late-season nectar plants in the garden. Its broad, flat flower heads act as a landing platform that honeybees, native solitary bees, hoverflies, and butterflies cover through late summer and fall, when little else is blooming and pollinators are stocking up for winter. The standing winter seed heads also shelter overwintering insects.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Autumn Joy sedum is low in toxicity: its leaves, stems, and flowers contain small amounts of alkaloids (sedine, sedamine, and others) that can cause mild stomach upset if eaten in quantity by people or pets. It is safe to grow and handle - just discourage children and pets from nibbling on it.