Sedum spathulifolium
Broadleaf stonecrop
(c) George Williams, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Crassulaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sedum spathulifolium (Broadleaf stonecrop) is a native California herb in the Crassulaceae family, recognized by distinctive large mat-forming habit with layered rosettes.
Broadleaf stonecrop is a California native perennial found in northwestern, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western, Transverse Range, and Peninsular Range regions on dry rocky slopes, marine bluffs, roadcuts, open forests, and mossy riparian outcrops at elevations from sea level to 3,200 meters. Flowering from April to August, this plant produces yellow flowers in flat-topped clusters with 5 to 65 blossoms, each petal 4.5 to 9 millimeters long. Growing 3 to 29 centimeters tall with stout rhizomes and elongate stolons, it often forms large evergreen mats. Its rosette leaves are distinctive, ranging from green to blue-green, gray, pink, or red, with obovate to broadly obovate blades 7 to 19 millimeters long that are strongly flattened and sometimes have rounded or acute tips. The plant can create dense, flat rosettes up to 6 centimeters in diameter, with outer rosette leaves significantly larger than inner ones.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 20 sympatric species; distinctive large mat-forming habit with layered rosettes
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry rocky slopes, cliffs, marine bluffs, roadcuts, open forest, mossy riparian outcrops, stone walls, full sun to full shade, on varied substrates, including serpentine
Elevation: 0-3200 m
California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou, Riverside, Los Angeles, Del Norte, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Mendocino, Trinity, Fresno, Monterey, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Marin, Lake, Tehama, Santa Clara, Butte, Plumas, Yolo, Napa, Santa Cruz, Placer, El Dorado, Nevada, San Francisco, San Diego, San Mateo, San Benito, Kern, Sierra, Shasta, Glenn, Madera, Contra Costa, Tulare, Solano, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to British Columbia, naturalized in British Isles
Bloom period
Sedum spathulifolium blooms Apr-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Crassula: Sedum has flowers over 4mm wide; Crassula has tiny flowers typically under 3mm.; vs Aeonium: Sedum leaves have completely smooth edges; Aeonium has tiny hairs along leaf margins.; vs Dudleya: Sedum flowers cluster at stem tips; Dudleya flower stalks emerge from leaf axils on the side.; vs Echeveria: Sedum doesn't form tight rosettes; Echeveria grows in compact, symmetrical rosettes.; vs Sedella: Sedum is perennial with leaves over 1cm; Sedella is annual with tiny leaves under 1cm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sedum spathulifolium native to California?
Yes. Sedum spathulifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sedum spathulifolium bloom?
Sedum spathulifolium blooms Apr-Aug.
Where in California does Sedum spathulifolium grow?
Sedum spathulifolium occurs in Humboldt, Siskiyou, Riverside, Los Angeles, Del Norte, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Mendocino and other counties, at elevations of 0-3200 m.
What plant family does Sedum spathulifolium belong to?
Sedum spathulifolium is in the Crassulaceae family, genus Sedum.
What habitat does Sedum spathulifolium grow in?
Sedum spathulifolium grows in dry rocky slopes, cliffs, marine bluffs, roadcuts, open forest, mossy riparian outcrops, stone walls, full sun to full shade, on varied substrates, including serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sedum stenopetalum — Narrow leaf stonecrop
- Sedum stenopetalum subsp. ciliosum — Pale wormleaf stonecrop
- Sedum stenopetalum subsp. stenopetalum — Yellow wormleaf stonecrop
- Sedum albomarginatum — Feather river stonecrop
- Sedum album — White stonecrop
- Sedum citrinum — Blue creek stonecrop
- Aeonium arboreum var. arboreum — Canary Islands aeonium
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.