Page 19a. Sedum rubrotinctum cv Aurora

Sedum rubrotinctum cv AuroraJ G Pusey

Location of the type S. rubrotinctum - Mexico.
This plant is referred to as a periclinal chimera (a multi - component mutation) with leaf variations in salmon pink, cream, light green or stripes of any of these colours.
No flowers have appeared in the 20 years I have grown this Aurora cultivar.

The type species has bright green leaves with a reddish tip. Grown hard in full sun the leaves go crimson but go back to green in the winter. Flowers are said to be light yellow and green.

This year two of my plants flowered and it seems that the trick is to let the plant mature, aided with lots of sunshine - then creamy yellow buds form. Flowering then occurs thru May into June.

CULTIVATION: is easy using a well drained, potash compost and full light. In the growing season water when the roots are almost dry, less in the winter in a dry atmosphere in good light at 2ºC minimum. The leaves easily drop off in dry conditions and should be removed regularly, otherwise the lots of the resulting stronger type species will overrun and swamp the more delicate Aurora form.
Re pot every 2/3 years using a high potash compost with slow release fertiliser.

PROPAGATION: is easy from offsets or cuttings in Spring, but do not use the leaves which produce 'reverted to type' plants. Unless of course you want them for outside growing.

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