goldmoss stonecrop

not listed

NNA - Not applicable

SNA - Not applicable

not listed

Goldmoss stonecrop is an exotic, evergreen, succulent, flowering plant. It is native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It was introduced, cultivated as an ornamental ground cover, escaped cultivation, and is now naturalized across northern United States and southern Canada. It is uncommon in Minnesota. It is found on beaches, banks of streams and rivers, cemeteries, roadsides, rock outcrops, rock walls, and open disturbed areas. It grows under full sun to light shade in dry areas on calcareous soil. It is drought tolerant and often forms loose or dense mats.

Goldmoss stonecrop is perennial forb that rises from fibrous roots. Non-flowering (vegetative) stems are fleshy, branched, round in cross section, and ¾″ to 4″ (2 to 10 cm) long. They are hairless and usually green but sometimes become white with age. They do not have a whitish, waxy coating (glaucous). They lie flat on the ground (prostrate) with just the tips curving upwards (ascending). Where a node contacts the ground the stem produces roots. It may separate at this point creating a vegetative offset, a new plant.

Flowering stems are erect or ascending, usually unbranched, and 2″ to 4″ (5 to 10 cm) long or longer. They do not root at the nodes.

The leaves are alternate, crowded, and densely overlapping. They sometimes appear to be spiraled around the stem. They are stalkless and are attached slightly above the base, producing a pair of minute, pouch-like spurs below the attachment point. They are thick and succulent, elliptic in cross section, 1⁄16″ to 3⁄16″ (2 to 5 mm) long or longer, and 1⁄32″ to ⅛″ (1 to 4 mm) wide. They gradually and only slightly reduce in size as they ascend the stem. The blades are egg-shaped and bluntly pointed at the tip. The upper and lower surfaces are hairless. They are not glaucous. The margins are untoothed. At flowering time the leaves on vegetative stems are often absent, and the lower leaves on flowering stems are usually white, soft, and papery.

The inflorescence is a solitary flower or a branched cluster (cyme) of 2 to 12 flowers at the end of flowering stems.

Each flower is about ½″ wide. There are 5 outer floral leaves (sepals), 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 5 carpels, each with a single style. The sepals are green, fleshy, spreading, 1⁄16″ to ⅛″ (2 to 3 mm) long, oblong egg-shaped, and bluntly pointed at the tip. Like the leaves, they have a pair of minute, pouch-like spurs at the base. The petals are bright yellow, 3 ⁄16″ to ⅜″ (5 to 9 mm) long, narrowly lance-shaped, and sharply pointed. The stamens have yellow stalks (filaments) and yellow anthers. The filaments are attached at the bases of the petals. The carpels are greenish-yellow.

The fruit is a yellowish, ⅛″ (2.5 to 3.5 mm) long seed capsule (follicle) with many seeds.

Matting: 2″ to 11¾″ (5 to 30 cm) long

Bright yellow

Stringy stonecrop (Sedum sarmentosum) has much longer stems and much longer leaves. They are mostly in well-spaced whorls of three, not crowded or overlapping.

Dry. Beaches, banks of streams and rivers, cemeteries, roadsides, rock outcrops, rock walls, and open disturbed areas. Full sun to light shade. Calcareous soil.

June to July

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30.

Native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Introduced, cultivated, and naturalized.

Uncommon

This pops up everywhere on beaches in the summer, but when people ask me what it is, I have to dig to find the name. One thing for sure, I tell them to pull it up.

Location: Cass County

This pops up everywhere on beaches in the summer, but when people ask me what it is, I have to dig to find the name. One thing for sure, I tell them to pull it up.