Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Showy Stonecrop

Group/Class:  SunSparkler Series

Description:

A compact stonecrop presenting clusters of pink flowers held atop interesting plum purple, orange, and yellow succulent foliage; a drought-tolerant perennial that does best in poor soils; a colorful groundcover or feature in containers or rock gardens

Ornamental Features

Sunsparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Stonecrop has masses of beautiful clusters of pink star-shaped flowers with red eyes rising above the foliage from mid summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive succulent oval leaves emerge steel blue in spring, turning plum purple in colour with distinctive orange edges and tinges of red throughout the season. The burgundy stems can be quite attractive.

Landscape Attributes

Sunsparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Stonecrop is a dense herbaceous perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Sunsparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Stonecrop is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Sunsparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Stonecrop will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. Like most succulents and cacti, this plant prefers to grow in poor soils and should therefore never be fertilized. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Sunsparkler® Dazzling Dynamite Stonecrop is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.