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

Leiberg's Stonecrop

Sedum leibergii

Synonym: Amerosedum leibergii, Sedum borschii, Sedum divaricatum

The photo at left shows the developing floral stem or scape of Leiberg's stonecrop. Although some of the leaves appear opposite, most are alternate, so this is not Sedum debile. Photographed at the crest of the Columbia Hills in the eastern Columbia River Gorge..........May 1, 2005. The photo at right shows the basal leaves and dry scapes of the previous bloom season of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen along the Klickitat Trail about a mile north of the Yakama Fisheries facility at the head of the waterfalls......January 10, 2023.

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii (Synonyms: Amerosedum leibergii, Sedum borschii, Sedum divaricatum)

The photo at right shows the basal leaf cluster of Leiberg's stonecrop. Note the long, thinly spatulate leaves and the dried remains of the previous year's flower scape. Photographed on basalt outcrops about one mile east of Celilo, OR..........March 6, 2005.

Characteristics:

Leiberg's stonecrop is a biennial or perennial wildflower with leafy, simple to sometimes branching stems from 5-12 cm high. The lower leaves are narrowly spatulate (See photos.), measuring 6-12 mm long. They are widest at the tips and taper gradually to the petioles. The upper leaves are alternate, shorter in length, and are broadly lanceolate or oblong in shape and measure up to 6 mm long.

The inflorescence is a spreading to recurved-branched cyme of numerous flowers. The 5 sepals are narrowly triangular to ovate-lanceolate in shape and up to 2 mm long. The yellow to greenish-yellow petals are narrowly lanceolate in shape and 5-8 mm long. The stamens are slightly shorter than the petals with the oblong-oval anthers up to 1.2 mm long.

Habitat:

Leiberg's stonecrop may be found on mossy, rocky banks and gravelly slopes, especially in canyons.

Range:

Leiberg's stonecrop may be found from Yakima County in Washington south to north-central Oregon and east to southeastern Washington and western Idaho, including the Snake River canyon.

In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 100'-3000' from Bingen, WA easward to at least Biggs, OR.

The photo above shows the basal and stem leaves of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen on cliffs just east of the mouth of the Deschutes River to the west of Biggs, OR........April 2, 2000.

Two close-up views of the basal leaves and previous year's flower stems of Leiberg's stonecrop as seen about one mile east of Celilo, OR.............February 14, 2009.

Paul Slichter