About Sedum ternatum Michx.
Sedum ternatum Michx., commonly called woodland stonecrop, is the most widespread native Sedum species in eastern North America. It produces white flowers, blooming from April to May, with a flowering period of roughly one month from late spring to early summer. This shade-tolerant species is most often found in the forest understory, but it can also grow in sunnier locations if enough moisture is available. Its common name 'stonecrop' refers to its ability to grow well on top of boulders, where its succulent leaves help it retain moisture in shallow soil. The species adapts well to use in gardening. It is native to most of the eastern United States, ranging west to Arkansas and Iowa, south along the Appalachian Mountains, and north to near the Canada–United States border. Sedum ternatum can be told apart from other native and cultivated sedums commonly found in the United States by its white flowers that have four petals rather than five, and its leaves growing in whorls of three — a characteristic that gives the species its scientific name.
