Stonecrop Matrona

Still better known as Sedum Matrona, Hylotelephium Matrona is a clump-forming, herbaceous perennial with an upright habit and succulent, ovate, grey-green leaves, tinged with purple, a good foil for the flowers. In August and September, big, dense heads of tiny, starry, pale pink flowers with a deeper pink centre are a magnet for bees and butterflies. A drought-tolerant plant which should not be over-fed, it’s probably a better cultivar than the popular Herbstfreude/Autumn Joy because it’s less likely to sprawl. Leave the seedheads over winter, and prune back in early spring. Stonecrop Matrona holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.