Imagine: Although the most common variety of sedum was called ‘Autumn Joy,’ it never brought happiness to her heart because it flopped open and sprawled long before fall. But then she discovered Pure Joy…

Name: Sedum ‘Pure Joy’, aka Hylotelephium ‘Pure Joy’ (Why do the name changes usually make them harder to pronounce? Sorry…just a personal rant of frustration.)

Type of Plant: A perennial that’s hardy in Zone 3-9, is drought tolerant and grows well in full sun.

Why I love this plant: This is a sedum that does just what other stonecrop sedums do: the plant looks great from the moment it comes up until the dried flower heads are covered with snow in December. This sedum is perfect for dry, infertile soils and those locations such as rock gardens or down by the mailbox that aren’t watered frequently.

But ‘Pure Joy’ goes beyond many sedum varieties in that in more fertile or moisture-rich conditions it doesn’t flop and fall over.

I was introduced to this plant when I got a box from the Proven Winners folks at the end of a GWA meeting in Pittsburg. They’d brought several window boxes filled their plants and I was the lucky winner who got to take one home! It was lovely in the box into October, and now it’s thriving in my dry garden along the roadside.

A Word to the Wise: Like most sedums, ‘Pure Joy’ doesn’t do well if it’s hit with a sprinkler system every other day. But frankly, most plants don’t like this type of watering, so just cut it out, OK?

Pure Joy is shorter. That’s its first claim to fame. It doesn’t flop open and fits in well with other plants that are 3 to 8 inches tall.

The flowers develop from white in July to pale pink in late summer and early fall. Later in fall, like other sedums, the blooms turn a rusty red.

Here are the flowers in early August at Pleasant View Gardens in New Hampshire.

On the left hand side of this box from Proven Winners you see a Pure Joy sedum. I enjoyed this combination well through October on my front porch and after a hard frost I planted the Pure Joy in my dry bed near the top of my driveway.

For more information about Pure Joy go to the Proven Winners website. And for more information about the Northeast grower of Proven Winners plants, see the Pleasant View Gardens website.