I know for many people, autumn joy would mean pumpkin spice in food and drink, but there is something else associated with autumn you may or may not be aware of, a plant!
Autumn Joy is a stonecrop, Hylotelphium telephium from the Crassulaceae family and considered a sedum. It combines sedum with delosperma (ice plant) characteristics. Autumn joy is a cultivated hybrid originating in China, Korea, Europe, and Asia. It is a perennial that blooms in late summer to fall and requires full sun and good drainage. It is hardy in USDA zones 3-9, dies down in the winter and then comes back in the spring.
Pruning the plant early in the season will give you a fuller, bushier plant. Some varieties can be as tall as two feet and come in various colors, so it provides color and variation of height in the garden. After it dies down in the winter leave the brown dead pieces which provide a bit of protection for the plant. Then when spring comes remove the dead parts, and you will see specks of green as it comes out again. The new green plant adds color to the garden as well as when the blooms appear. And there are many colors available, including the pretty pink one I have. But I have lost its ID tag, so I can’t tell you which one this is.
The mass of blooms add color and interest to the garden after the cactus have finished their blooming season. So I am glad I have it.
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