[The Stonecrop Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Broad-leaf Stonecrop, Broad-leaved Stonecrop, Pacific Stonecrop

Sedum spathulifolium ssp. spathulifolium

Synonym: Sedum spathulifolium ssp. pruinosum

The photo above shows broad-leaf stonecrop as seen on cliffs at the base of Mitchell Point in the central Columbia River Gorge............May 2005.

Flowers of Broad-leaf Stonecrop, Broad-leaved Stonecrop, Pacific Stonecrop: Sedum spathulifolium ssp. spathulifolium (Synonym: Sedum spathulifolium ssp. pruinosum)

The photo at right shows a close-up of the flowers of broad-leaf stonecrop. Note the long narrow petals which are joined at their base as well as the 10 stamens. Photographed on cliffs at the base of Mitchell Point in the central Columbia River Gorge............May 2005.

Characteristics:

Broad-leaf stonecrop is a very attractive rock garden plant which is hardy in wet gardens (given sufficient drainage) on the west side of the Cascades. It has wide, smooth-surfaced and glaucous leaves and yellow, star-shaped flowers. The plants are usually low to the ground, but may range as high as 30 cm. The fleshy leaves are alternate and 10-20 mm long and 4-10 mm wide. The leaves are spatulate-oblanceolate or obovate-spatulate in shape and flattened but still succulent. On sterile shoots, the leaves may form rosettes.

The flowers are in cymes, with 5 yellow petals, which may sometimes be pinkish in color. The petals range from 7-10 mm in length and are narrowly oblong-lanceolate in shape with acute to slightly acuminate tips. The stamens are shorter than the petals. Sedum oreganum is very similar in appearance, but has flowers that have longer and wider petals (over 10 mm long and 2-3 mm wide).

Habitat:

Broad-leaf stonecrop is a plant of ledges and cliffs at the coast, in the foothills, or in the Columbia River Gorge. It may also be found in gravelly areas within those areas.

Range:

Broad-leaf stonecrop may be found the Pacific coast to the foothills of the Cascade Mts. from southern British Columbia south to the Sierra Nevada of California.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-3000' from east of Troutdale, OR east to near Mosier, OR.

The photo above shows the broad, flattened and strongly glaucous leaves of broad-leaf stonecrop as seen on cliffs at the base of Mitchell Point in the central Columbia River Gorge..........May 2005.

The colorful basal rosette of leaves of broad-leaf stonecrop as seen on rock outcrops high along the McCord Creek Trail in the western Columbia River Gorge..........May 20, 2009.

Broad-leaf stonecrop as seen on steep slopes along the McCord Creek Trail in the western Columbia River Gorge..........May 30, 2009.

Additional examples of broadleaf stonecrop as seen along Washington Highway SR14 east of Rowland Lake, at the base of Catherine Creek.........May 20, 2011.

Paul Slichter