It's Not Too Late To Plant This Low-Maintenance Succulent Before Winter

Succulents are some of the easiest plants to take care of, thriving with minimal water and attention while still adding eye-catching colors and unique shapes to your garden. Even if you have challenging growing conditions where you don't get much rainfall, you could try several types of succulents to enhance your drought-friendly lawn and really brighten things up. If you're looking for something to plant before winter sets in that will add color and beauty to your yard, consider pink stonecrop (Hylotelephium spectabile). Pink stonecrop is a hardy perennial that thrives in USDA Hardiness zones 4 through 9 and returns each year with little work on your part. If you are a beginner to gardening, this succulent is a great choice to add to your list of the easiest plants to grow for beginning gardeners.

This low-maintenance succulent usually reaches heights of 12 to 24 inches tall with a spread of about 12 to 24 inches wide making it a popular choice for rock gardens, borders, and mixed beds. The colorful flowers of pink stonecrop are attractive to butterflies and bees so if you're looking to attract more pollinators to your garden, this plant is a nice addition. If you were thinking it was too late in the season to plant anything, don't despair, you still have plenty of time to get your pink stonecrop succulents in the ground so they can get established before winter.

Many varieties of the genus Hylotelephium thrive beautifully in late season gardens. Pink stonecrop is one example that does well and will add lovely color to your outdoor space. Even in the winter, the faded blooms and seed heads look stunning while snow-capped or with frost on them. While these plants can handle some shade, you will get better growing results planting in areas with at least 6 hours of full sun and well-draining sandy or sandy-loam soil. Water your pink stonecrop about once a week for the first year. This keeps the soil from drying out and gives the plants time to get established. Once that first year has passed, you shouldn't have to add additional water to your pink stonecrop plants beyond what it gets naturally unless there is a long period of time where there is no rain. You don't want to overwater as that can cause fungal diseases and root rot.

Pink stonecrop doesn't need much additional fertilization. If you feel your soil is extremely poor you can add some compost into the soil and that should be all that is needed for healthy growth. Wait to do any pruning until February or March and then at that time, cut them back  to get ready for the new season. Leaving the seedheads on the plants throughout the winter not only looks attractive, it provides some shelter for insects and protects the plants from cold weather. Apply these tips to help you care for your succulents this winter and prune at the right time, and your pink stonecrop will look great through fall and winter, too.