White Stonecrop is easy to grow in dry to moist well drained soil in full sun, although it does tolerate light shade. The plant prefers sandy or gravelly soils of low fertility and the succulent leaves make it drought and heat tolerant when well established. The plant can be invasive and spreads along the ground by prostrate stems that root at the nodes, unless controlled. Because the plant is low to the ground, mat forming, and spreads aggressively, it can be used for ground cover in a sunny position; although it can overwhelm other plants of similar height. White Stonecrop is a recommended plant species for Triangle Area Green Roofs. White Stonecrop tolerates only occassional foot traffic. The leaves tend to fall off easily; however, the fallen leaves can be used to propagate new plants. Some references describe White Stonecrop as mildly toxic if ingested, while others do not. In any event, stems and leaves may be eaten raw when very young and tender. As the stems and leaves age, but before the plants flower, the edible parts may still be eaten if they are briefly cooked. The leaves, eaten in quantity, can cause stomach upsets. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious diseases or insect problems, except for occasional slugs and snails. Avoid wet or poorly drained conditions. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti," a plant identification course created in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Very Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Dense; Horizontal; Prostrate; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear; Oblong
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Fleshy
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Leaf size
< 1 inch long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Small, succulent, stalkless, linear-oblong, cylindrical to flattened, green leaves (to 3/4 of an inch long) turn reddish brown for fall and winter.
Fall color
Brown/Copper
Flower color
White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Tiny, star-like, white flowers in clusters (paniculate cymes) bloom in mid-summer above the foliage mat. Flowers are attractive to butterflies. Blooms June through August.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Western Asia, North Africa
Distribution
Britain, Eastern and Western Canada, Northeast and Northwest United States
Wildlife value
attracts butterflies
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers; Stems
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Stems and leaves can be eaten raw when young or, when plant matures, but before flowering, after they are briefly cooked. When eaten in quantity, the leaves can cause stomach upset.