Sedums are beloved by gardeners — and now they're National Garden Bureau's 2026 Perennial Plant of the Year! Here's why sedums belong in your garden.
Sedums provide a perfect perennial plant for pollinators. Their long, late-season blooming habit and rich colors have made them a beloved choice for gardeners across the United States. This year, the National Garden Bureau is acknowledging the plant’s stellar reputation with an announcement: 2026 is the Year of the Sedum. Here’s why they picked sedums as the Perennial Plant of the Year.
Why Are Sedums the 2026 Perennial Plant of the Year?
“Known for durability, drought tolerance, and the ability to thrive in challenging conditions, Sedum has earned its place as a go-to plant for gardeners of every skill level,” the bureau said in a press release. In addition, the National Garden Bureau explains that sedums — also known as “stonecrop” plants — cover a wide array of varieties, including Autumn Fire and Chocolate Fountain. There’s a sedum for every gardener! The press release states there are “anywhere from 200 to 700 species” in the genus, depending on the classification.
Gardeners can find sedums in many shades of pink and yellow. They tolerate a variety of growing conditions. Even better, sedums frequently appear on garden center shelves and won’t usually require much searching to locate. They’re easy to find, easy to grow, and easy to appreciate.
How to Grow Sedum Plants
As the bureau notes, sedums do well with less. They can tolerate poor or rocky soils, and they will thrive in a well-draining spot in your garden. Their hardiness range extends from Zones 3 to 9. Grow them in full to part sun. Furthermore, as long as they’re not overwatered, sedums are low maintenance and require minimal care. Their late bloom time means they add color to the yard at a time when most other plants are done for the season. Plus, they provide a valuable resource for beneficial bugs and migrating butterflies.
“The beauty of sedum is its resilience,” Diane Blazek, executive director of the National Garden Bureau, said in the press release. “Over-fertilizing or over-watering can actually be detrimental. These plants are designed to be drought-hardy, storing moisture in their foliage to survive long periods without supplemental irrigation.”
