Have Your Sedum and Eat It Too

We finally got a much-needed rainstorm the other day after a long stretch of dry weather this summer.  After weeks with very little rain, I start feeling very thankful for those plants that can withstand some drought and still look good doing it.  My hellstrip, in particular, still looks pretty decent and even has some blooms, despite very little watering from me, thanks to such drought tolerant plants as Alyssum, Nicotiana, Catmint, Coreopsis, and, of course, the often overlooked but hardworking Sedums.

Sedum 'Purple Emperor'

There are an impressive 600 different species of these succulent plants, which are also called 'Stonecrop' as they are often found in the wild growing on rocky ledges.  They are native to the Northern Hemisphere, with several varieties native to North America, and they bloom throughout the summer.  Many people are familiar with Sedum 'Autumn Joy', but I love how there are so many different cultivars out there now, including many with different colored foliage.

Sedum 'Purple Emperor'

This year I planted several Sedum 'Purple Emperor', which has dark purple (almost black!) leaves.  I planted them from small bare roots and am impressed that the little plants are blooming despite having been almost entirely neglected in this dry weather. 

My favorite Sedum in the garden, however, is the chartreuse-leaved Sedum 'Angelina'.

Sedum 'Angelina'

As a creeping ground cover, I have to admit that it is rather hard to weed, but I am in love with its brilliant yellow foliage.  It shoots up stalks of little yellow flowers which some gardeners actually cut off because they detract from the pretty leaves and creeping form.  I leave the flowers as the bees enjoy them, and, well, I don't even have time to trim out the ugly dying things from my garden, much less anything that can remotely be called a pretty flower.  (Guilty Admission: There are some weeds I leave in the garden just because they bloom and aren't crabgrass.)

Sedum 'Angelina' flowers

And just in case you needed another reason to appreciate the hardworking Sedum, did you know you could eat them?  Most Sedums are edible.

Sedum spectabile is reported to have a bland flavor.
I haven't tried it.

(Please note that the exception to this is Sedum rubrotinctum - aka, the 'Jelly Bean plant' or 'Pork and Beans' - which is ironically poisonous.  Also, some of the yellow-flowering Sedums can be slightly toxic if eaten in large amounts.)

Sedum kamtschaticum can be eaten raw when young and tender.  When older, cook briefly to help remove toxicity.
Yeah, I haven't tried this one either.

I haven't tried eating my garden Sedum, but it is apparently good in salads and stir-fries, with the young, tender shoots tasting best.  And good news for gardeners who have the common 'Autumn Joy' - I've read that it is one of the better tasting Sedums.

Yum yum?

Feeling adventurous and looking for a recipe for your garden Sedums?

Here are some online recipes to try:

Stonecrop Salad

Stonecrop Wild Garlic Dill Pickles

Sweet Pickled Pickles with Yellow Stonecrop Flowers

Sedum kamtschaticum going to seed

Sedum is more popular in Korean cooking, and in South Korea one is more likely to find it at the grocery store.  Here in the US there are very few sources, unless you happen to stumble upon it at a farmer's market or know some people...

A basket of ingredients for the cooking competition TV show Chopped that includes Wagyu rib-eye steaks, jalapeño chips, mangoes - and pink pearl Sedum.

or you could just eat it out of your garden.

Anyone tried it?