Sedum Multiceps

This plant may be called a pygmy Joshua tree or the Algerian stonecrop because it occurs naturally in Algeria. It is a mat-forming succulent plant with dense woody stems that branch into numerous branches. They produce yellow star-like flowers that bloom in the fall.

Family:	Crassulaceae
Genus:	Sedum
Scientific Name:	Sedum multiceps
Other Names:	Miniature Joshua Tree, Pigmy Joshua Tree, Baby Joshua Tree.
Growth Season:	Spring to the fall
Preferred Temperature:	It prefers a temperate climate growing best between 65oF and 75oF (18 – 25oC). It is not frost-hardy, so move it indoors when temperatures get frigid.
Hardiness Zone:	USDA Zone 8a to 10b
Average Mature Height & Width:	This plant grows six centimeters tall and spreads ten centimeters wide.
Dormancy:	Winter
Toxicity:	It can be mildly toxic to pets and children, but it isn’t listed as toxic to humans.

Sedum Multiceps Physical Characteristics

This tiny plant may be characterized as a sub-shrub. It sheds some of its leaves, and it is deciduous and hairless. This sub-shrub branches copiously, and its erect shoots are non-flowering. The name Pygmy Joshua Tree is due to its uncanny similarity with Joshua Tree that grows in Southwest America, except for the size.

It doesn’t grow beyond 15 cm (6 inches). Its stem is thick and woody with a trunk-like appearance with short woody stems. The foliage comprises fleshy, alternate leaves that grow no more than six millimeters long. Each leaf has a flat upper surface. 

Sedum Multiceps Care

Though it belongs to the Sedum genus and is less succulent than other plants in the genus owing to its woody stem and branches. However, the watering needs are more or less the same as the more succulent family members. It is also susceptible to rot in the event it is overwatered watering.

Use the soak-and-dry method to allow water from the previous drink to dry before watering it again. You can tell it is ready for watering if the rootball dries out. Watering is unnecessary in winter, and very little to drink should be given to the plant in the season. 

The succulent requires exposure to the full sun and can grow under light shade. However, it requires good airflow. While it prefers exposure to the sun, keep it off direct sunlight in hot environments because it isn’t too heat tolerant.

Also, please protect it from frost exposure because it isn’t frost-hardy. You can give it a well-balanced succulent fertilizer once in the growing season. 

DO YOU KNOW? Caring (propagating, pruning/trimming, beheading, watering, …) is a set of skills that is applicable to almost every succulent. Read the in-depth succulent care guide right here >>

Richard from Succulent City

Sedum Multiceps Growth

This grows best in a pot, and you can practice the bonsai art. The best propagation method is using cuttings. Remove small branch cuttings at the beginning of summer. Allow the cuttings to be callous before planting them on an appropriate moist substrate, and keep it in a warm, well-lit place until it roots. This is a tiny plant that grows slowly, and therefore repotting is rarely necessary. You can prune and trim it either to shape it as bonsai or for propagation purposes. 

When well aired, this plant is rarely attacked by pests, but mealybugs and scale insects may attack it. Protect it by airing it and keeping it healthy. Separate the infected plant and spray it using organic pesticides to cure it.

Before you leave …

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