Coppertone Stonecrop is a beautiful succulent also known by its botanical name, S.Nussbaumerianum.
Just 8 inches tall, this low-growing perennial has beautiful color and rosettes.
The greatest asset is the plump and long leaves with colors ranging from light yellowish green when placed in the shade that can transform into coppery orange leave ablaze under full sunlight.
This color combination makes this plant a hot pick, and gardeners are going crazy to get their hands on this perennial.
Coppertone Stonecrop (S.Nussbaumerianum), known as a stemmed grower. Its orange and yellow foliage turns to a stunning copper display when grown in full sun. Pointed, upturned leaves make pretty rosette displays, and in Spring scented white starry flowers flow forth in pretty strands. Great for hanging baskets or rockeries.
Coppertone Stonecrop (Sedum Nussbaumerianum) Origin and Names
This unique and eye-catching perennial is one with many names. Sometimes, they can be referred to as Sedum Adolphii, Nussbaumer’s Sedum, Golden Sedum, and the most common Coppertone Stonecrop.
Despite all its names, they point to the same striking and good-looking plant.
Sedum Nussbaumerianum is native to Mexico and belongs to the family of Sedum Stonecrop. They are a great choice to grow in a rockery or succulent garden with a Mediterranean theme.
They would also look great in a decorative container or hanging basket. They are easy to grow and can reach up to 8 inches tall and 2-3 ft. wide.
Interestingly, Sedum Nussbaumerianum has high drought and heat tolerance, meaning this plant can withstand heat conditions – but only when established. They are low maintenance and will forgive you if you neglect them for a while.
The characteristics of this perennial are fragrant, showy, and evergreen.
They are best grown either in full sun or light shade but keep their soil properly drained to avoid rot.
Nevertheless, it is best to keep them under full sun to release the best colors this succulent has
How To Grow Sedum Nussbaumerianum
1. Equipment
The fundamental equipment for planting Sedum Nussbaumerianum are gloves, potting soil, pots, and hand shovel.
You can add more than the ones being mentioned depending on how you want to grow the plant. For example, you may want to grow them in a decorative container.
In that case, you must switch from a simple pot to a creative and stylish container.
It is a golden rule always to wear gloves to prevent getting infected when working with plants. Your safety and health are always the top priority.
Potting soil is crucial for every perennial because they need soil to sustain their growing needs.
The pot is where you keep everything together, whether it is a simple pot or a decorative container. Lastly, the hand shovel is for transferring potting soil inside the pot.
2. Soil and Transplanting
As with other kinds of succulents, Sedum Nussbaumerianum also needs well-draining soil. This type of soil is perfect for proper watering to avoid waterlogging, which causes root rot.
You can use a cactus potting mix because they are already tried and tested by numerous succulent lovers. You can add perlite to the mixture for extra drainage.
For the measurement, you can use a 2:1 solution of cactus mix and perlite, and a 1:1 solution of cactus mix and perlite if you live in a humid environment.
Also, you can use coarse sand to be added to the mix for another drainage improvement.
The measurement in perlite also applies with the coarse sand. But you can also combine the three of them with a 1:1:1 ratio.
3. Propagation
Sedum Nussbaumerianum is undoubtedly one of the easiest succulents on earth to propagate. You can start by cutting either through the stems or leaf cuttings.
However, stem cuttings seem to be way more foolproof than leaf cuttings, so it is best to propagate stem cuttings to lessen failure.
Once you get the stem cuttings, let it dry for a day or two until the cut ends, and callous are dried and sealed.
Take note that you must choose a healthy mother plant to get the stem cuttings and not the dehydrated or stressed ones.
After the cut ends have healed and dried, stick the stem cuttings in the well-draining potting mix.
Keep the newly propagated plant away from direct sunlight and water the soil every other day or when the soil is dry.
Once the plant has fully rooted, switch back to a regular watering cycle and place them in an area with high access to direct sunlight.
4. Watering and Feeding
When watering a succulent, the area you live in is a factor. Succulents are drought tolerant.
There is no recommended cycle to which you must water them except when the soil is parched.
They may thrive in a dry environment, but they also need water to survive.
In summer, you can have a watering cycle of 7-10 days because the soil dries quickly due to high temperatures.
You can adjust the cycle to 10-14 days during winter, especially if you grow your Sedum Nussbaumerianum outdoors and receive rainwater every other day.
If you live in humid places, you may not need to water the plant that much, especially if you grow them indoors.
You must place them near a window with excellent access to sunlight to balance the moisture in the soil. If not, the succulent will have a rough death, and you don’t want that to happen.
In terms of fertilizer, Sedum Nussbaumerianum does not need any fertilizers because they are easy to grow.
You need to be careful of the water you put in them because it must be perfect. Be sure to check the moisture of the soil before watering constantly.
5. Lighting
The next important element when growing Sedum Nussbaumerianum is lighting, and they must be exposed for 4-6 hours to sunlight per day.
When growing them indoors, you have to place them in a window facing the east because this is where plenty of light usually enters.
Rotate the plant to receive equal lighting on all parts.
When the plant doesn’t receive enough light, it will have negative results. The absence of light shows itself in the plant by long weak stems that will stretch and become leggy, looking for more light.
Its leaves will get smaller owing to longer internodes; it will also turn to a pale yellow color. This is called etiolation.
If this happens, quickly transfer the plant to an area with great sunlight exposure; otherwise, the plant will grow weak and stunted.
Outdoors, they can tolerate light shade to full sun. However, they have to be acclimated to full sun to prevent sunburn.
The more sunlight exposure, the more intense the color of orange they produce.
6.Temperature
Sedum Nussbaumerianum can tolerate mild frost and slightly freezing temperatures but not for a long time.
If you live in USDA hardiness zones 9-11, you can leave the plant outside all year long.
Be careful of sudden temperature drops especially if you live in an area with extreme winter conditions.
Final Thoughts
S.Nussbaumerianum earned the Award of Garden Merit (as opposed to the Award of Merit) (after trials by the Royal Horticultural Society in London), for its appearance and vigor.
Reviewed at 10-year intervals from 1992, the frequency changed to annual reviews from 2012/13 by experts from the Royal Horticultural Society and Plant Heritage National Collection.
Coppertone Stonecrop – S.Nussbaumerianum – still holds its Award!
This succulent also produces clusters of white flowers that are lightly fragrant. Their stems spread out of the pot when they mature.
These lovely little plants are drought and heat tolerant, and extremely low maintenance. with little effort required to grow.
Remember to water this plant deeply but only when its soil is completely dried out.
Check that its pot has good draining holes so that when you water deeply there are outlets for the water, to prevent root rot.
This succulent should be protected from frost and rainstorms. In fact, it should really be a houseplant during the winter months and placed near a sunny window.
During the summer, when it’s back outside in the garden, Coppertone Stonecrop produces round clusters of sweetly scented white, star-shaped flowers.
This is a gem of a succulent and most popular because of its beauty and low maintenance – not to mention it’s award-winning standard.
Jenny Marie
Tribal Writer
Edited By
Patricia Godwin
