Plant Name Stringy Stonecrop
Scientific Name Sedum Sarmentosum
Family Stonecrop
Plant Type Perennial
Start of Blooming Season June
End of Blooming Season August
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Sedum Sarmentosum, commonly known as stringy stonecrop, is a perennial flowering plant in the stonecrop family. Stringy Stonecrop is native to China, but is also naturalized in North America and New Zealand. Stringy Stonecrop is a common lawn weed and was introduced as an ornamental plant for rock gardens because of its ability to grow well in coarse, sandy, shallow soils low in fertility. In these situations, it can crowd out grass and become a serious lawn weed. The genus name sedum come from the latin word 'succulent'. The species name Sarmentosum means 'to produce a runner'. This name can be traced to the method in which the plant reproduces and grows.


Stringy Stonecrop is used in hanging baskets and container gardens, as a trailing accent, in borders, or as groundcover.

Within the realm of naturopathic medicine and folklore, stringy stonecrop can be used as an astringent, hypotensive, laxative, rubefacient, vermifuge and vulnerary herb. Stringy Stonecrop is considered to be a useful medicinal plant by some herbalists, though others do not use it because of the violence of its operation when taken internally. One of its best uses is as an effective and harmless corn-remover, it can also be used to bring boils to a head, though this can also cause some local irritation. The bruised fresh plant is applied as a poultice to wounds and minor burns, though some care should be exercised because the plant can cause blisters or skin irritations. The herb is difficult to dry and so is best used when fresh, it can be gathered at any time during the spring and summer. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant. It is used in the treatment of piles and anal irritations.

Please note that MIROFOSS does not suggest in any way that plants should be used in place of proper medical and psychological care. This information is provided here as a reference only.


Stringy Stonecrop is rich in vitamin C, but it has a bitter acrid taste. The main interest in the edible qualities of this plant is as a survival food, since it grows wild in the driest deserts as well as in arctic conditions. Large quantities of stringy stonecrop can cause stomach upsets and other adverse effects. When stringy stonecrop is consumed, the leaves are dried and ground into a powder to make a spicy seasoning with a peppery taste.

Please note that MIROFOSS can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the consumption of plant species which are found in the wild. This information is provided here as a reference only.


Stringy Stonecrop is a low-growing plant that cannot compete with more vigorous, fast-growing species. It is specially adapted for growing on thin dry soils and can be found on shingle roofs, beaches, dry stone walls, dry banks, seashore rocks, roadside verges, wasteland and in sandy meadows near the sea. Stringy Stonecrop can live under a variety of light levels. However, it does not thrive in dense shade with limited water. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.

Soil Conditions
Soil Moisture
Sunlight
Notes:


Stringy Stonecrop is a tufted perennial herb that forms mat-like stands some 5cm to 12cm tall. Much of the year the stems are short, semi prostrate and densely clad in leaves. At the flowering time in June and July, the stems lengthen and are erect, somewhat limp and often pinkish-brown with the leaves further apart. The leaves are alternate, fleshy and shortly cylindrical with a rounded tip. They are also sometimes tinged with red. The starry flowers form a three to six-flowered cyme. The calyx has five fleshy sepals fused at the base, the corolla consists of five regular bright yellow petals, there are ten stamens, a separate gynoecium and five pistils. The fruit is five united, many-seeded follicles. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees, flies, self. The plant is self-fertile.

Plant Height 5cm to 12cm
Habitat Disturbed Areas, Roadsides, open woods
Leaves 2mm to 6mm long, smooth and fleshy
Leaf Margin Entire
Leaf Venation Longitudinal
Stems mat-like strands
Flowering Season June to August
Flower Type Rounded clusters of flowers 10mm wide with short petals
Flower Colour yellow
Pollination Insects and self
Flower Gender Flowers are hermaphrodite and the plants are self-fertile
Fruit Follicles 3mm to 10mm long in clusters of 5.
USDA Zone 4A (-31.7°C to -34.4°C) cold weather limit


The following health hazards should be noted when handling or choosing a location to plant stringy stonecrop:

SKIN IRRITANT
The sap can irritate the skin of some people and cause rashes.

-Click here- or on the thumbnail image to see an artist rendering, from The United States Department of Agriculture, of stringy stonecrop. (This image will open in a new browser tab)

There is currently no seed image(s) available for stringy stonecrop.


Stringy Stonecrop can be referenced in certain current and historical texts under the following four names:

Stringy Stonecrop can be translated into the following select languages:

Arabic السيدوم Bulgarian   Chinese (Sim) 景天
Croatian   Czech rozchodník Danish stenurt
Dutch muurpeper Esperanto   Estonian  
Finnish   French orpin German Mauerpfeffer
Greek   Hebrew   Hungarian  
Italian   Japanese 弁慶草 Korean  
Low Saxon   Lithuanian   Norwegian bergknapp
Persian   Polish rozchodnika Portuguese  
Romanian   Russian очиток Slovak rozchodník
Spanish uva de gato Swedish fetknopp Tagalog  
Turkish   Ukrainian очиток Vietnamese  

The MIROFOSS database offers free printable garden tags for personal and non-profit use. These tags can be used to properly identify plant samples in a garden. Click on the tags shown on the the screen or -click here- to download a full size jpeg image for a stringy stonecrop identification tag; which can be printed on paper or used with a plastic laser printer.

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Background Dickinson, R.; Royer, F.; (2014) Plants of Southern Ontario. ISBN 978-1-55105-906-8
Biology Dickinson, T.; Metsger, D.; Bull, J.; & Dickinson, R. (2004) ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario. Toronto:Royal Ontario Museum,
Image Rendering USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Environment National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2
Physical Identification National Audubon Society. Field Guide To Wildflowers (Eastern Region): Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-40232-2
April 10, 2015 The last time this page was updated
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