Sedum ‘Pure Joy’, Sedum ‘Lemonjade’ and Lespedza

Sedum ‘Pure Joy’ and Lemonjade’ Sedum is one of the most popular fall blooming perennials. I bet many of you reading this have ‘Autumn Joy’ strutting its stuff right now in your garden. Forgive my frankness, but I put ‘Autumn Joy’ in the same category as daylily ‘Stella D’Oro’… far too overused and ho-hum boring, given all of the eye-popping introductions that are now available. Let’s take ‘Lemonjade’ (pictured above)for example. This head turner has bright, citron-yellow flowers atop gray-green foliage that stays neatly upright through fall. No flopping open in the middle like you know who. ‘Lemonjade’ grows to 16”-18” tall and like all sedums, prefers full sun. ‘Pure Joy’ (pictured below) is shorter, maxing out at 12”. The showy, blue-green, serrated leaves carry the show until they are smothered by soft, bubblegum pink flowers in late summer. Some of my other fave ‘broccoli plants’ (as my son used to call them) include ‘Lime Zinger’; ‘Dazzelberry’; ‘Matrona’; and sieboldii. To photos and to learn more about these and other sedum, visit PerennialResource.com (both photos are compliments of PerennialResource.com).

Bush Clover (Lespedeza thunbergii) Here is another fabulous fall blooming plant that needs more respect! Cultivars can range from 12” tall to 5’. I’ve grown ‘Gilbralter’ for many years in my Upstate New York garden. It features lovely pink flowers that drip from arching stems with blue-green leaves. Both ‘Gilbralter’ and ‘Pink Fountains’ grow to 4’ – 5’. There is also a miniature version, ‘Yakushima’, that tops out around 12” – 18”. In colder climates, Bush Clover dies back to the ground, similar to Butterfly Bush.Prune it back hard in the spring. It sets its flower buds on new growth. You may also want to prune out some of the outer stems as it can grow wide. This full sun shrub is hardy in zones 4 -8. (photo compliments of Spring Meadow Farm)