Sedum Ternatum (Woodland Stonecrop), a Great Native, Evergreen Groundcover

Recently I took a walk through my winter garden looking for green. Most of what I saw were invasive groundcovers that are ubiquitous in my area (English ivy, vinca) and other aggressive introduced annuals like purple deadnettle. It’s a good time of the year to get ahead on some weeding without thinking too hard because there isn’t much else growing.

But there’s one native plant in my garden that stays green all winter, and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. I’m talking about sedum ternatum, or woodland stonecrop (also called wild stonecrop or three-leaved stonecrop), which is native to eastern North America, from the Great Lakes down to the northern parts of Alabama and westward to Missouri and Arkansas.

This is one of my favorite natives to grow for a few reasons.

First, it’s a great native version of a popular ornamental (autumn joy sedum, for example, is a traditional garden staple), so many are surprised to learn that this plant actually is native, especially due to its succulent foliage.

Also, it’s a versatile, low-growing groundcover and being a woodland plant it does great in shade, much better than the other members of the sedum family. If you have a garden full of native trees and shrubs, it’s an excellent choice for those shady areas, assuming the site is at least a little bit moist although it doesn’t need it to be overly wet. It is very low maintenance and easily spreads in an environment it likes.

And finally, it features an abundance of star-shaped white flowers in spring! All in all it’s definitely a unique plants in terms of options native to the United States.

Wildlife Value of Sedum Ternatum and Is It a Host Plant?

The beautiful flowers which give the plant quite a bit of additional visual interest and also make it attractive to pollinators including a variety of bees including solitary, ground-nesting species like miner bees.

Various sources list sedum ternatum as a larval host of the Common Buckeye, Brown Elfin, and Variegated Fritillary, of course depending on where in its native range you reside.

Propagating and Dividing Sedum Ternatum

Sedum ternatum spreads easily, as its stems creep and quickly root which quickly gives you a brand-new plant. You can even simply place a leaf on the ground and have it root!

When I first bought mine, I got a quart-sized pot quart, divided it, and planted it in two locations. With the easy propagation, you can easily cover a larger area over time with even just one or two plants to start. The seeds are tiny, however, so I don’t recommend propagating them that way since there the other methods are so easy and quick.

Is Sedum Ternatum Deer and Rabbit Proof?

Finally, although I have seen it listed as deer and rabbit resistant, my woodland stonecrop plants have been a favorite of either deer, rabbits or chipmunks (not positive as I haven’t caught anyone in the act), which have munched it to the ground on a couple of occasions.

But even when almost no green was left visible above ground in the fall, it bounced back the next spring with new growth. I’ve tried to give it a quick spray of liquid fence from time to time, and so far that does seem to help deter browsing. The other bonus is the ability of the leaves and stems to root, so munched bits that are left still have a good chance of re-rooting and continuing on.