The name Sedum comes from the Latin sedeo, to sit, an apt description for a genus that sprawls cheerfully over rocks, colonizes walls, and roots into the thinnest possible soils without complaint. Across more than 300 species — many of which have been reclassified into the related genus Hylotelephium — the forms range from prostrate mats an inch or two high to upright clumps reaching two feet, with fleshy leaves that may be flat, rounded, or cylindrical. That leaf texture is the key to the genus's resilience: stored moisture carries the plant through dry spells that would finish off less adapted perennials.

For the garden, the choice between low-growing and tall species determines how a sedum is used. Compact mat-formers spread by rooting stems and work on slopes, in rock gardens, along dry walls, and as green roof candidates; taller species carry large flat-topped flower clusters in yellow, pink, or white and anchor mixed borders or pollinator plantings. Full sun and coarse, well-drained soil suit nearly all of them. Hardy from zone 3 to 9 depending on species; bees are consistent visitors wherever they bloom.