showy stonecrop
Hylotelephium spectabile (Boreau) H.Ohba
Showy stonecrop grows as a compact mound of succulent shoots, usually one to two feet tall and wide. Its fleshy foliage and clustered flowers suit rock gardens, containers and dry borders, where the plant’s clumping habit gives it a substantial presence. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Hylotelephium spectabile
Botanical name
Kew accepts Hylotelephium spectabile (Boreau) H.Ohba, with Sedum spectabile Boreau as a homotypic synonym. The manifest’s spaced author form H. Ohba refers to the same accepted species. Kew Plants of the World Online: Hylotelephium spectabile
Recognizing the plant
Thick upright stems carry broad, oval grey-green leaves with shallow scallops along their edges. Pink, star-shaped flowers crowd into flat clusters at the stem tips, sometimes reaching fifteen centimetres across, above the dense mass of foliage. Royal Horticultural Society: Hylotelephium spectabile
Seasonal development
North Carolina, United States, garden conditions
In North Carolina gardens, flowering runs from late summer into autumn. The pink flowers darken toward reddish brown as they age, and the remaining seed heads can stand through winter. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Hylotelephium spectabile
Native range
The species is native from southwestern Primorye in the Russian Far East through northern and east-central China to Korea. This is a temperate Asian plant, although it has become established outside its native range in several European regions and Japan. Kew Plants of the World Online: Hylotelephium spectabile
Ecological relationships
The flowers provide nectar for butterflies and moths; in Maine they are among the late-summer feeding plants for these adult insects. University of Maine Extension, Bulletin 7151: Landscaping for Butterflies in Maine
A growing note
Give it full sun and well-drained soil. Spring division or early-summer cuttings from nonflowering shoots can produce new plants; the established clumps tolerate drought, but root or crown rot can sometimes affect them. Royal Horticultural Society: Hylotelephium spectabile
Botanical sources
- Kew Plants of the World Online: Hylotelephium spectabile
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Hylotelephium spectabile
- Royal Horticultural Society: Hylotelephium spectabile
- University of Maine Extension, Bulletin 7151: Landscaping for Butterflies in Maine
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.