Hylotelephium cauticola 'Lidakense'

Small, trailing, and quietly spectacular — Hylotelephium cauticola 'Lidakense' is the kind of rock garden plant that collectors seek out and then can't stop recommending. The stems trail and spread close to the ground, carrying small, rounded, glaucous blue-gray leaves arranged in a loose spiral along each stem. In late summer and early fall the plant covers itself in rich, deep pink to carmine-red flowers that seem almost too vivid against all that cool blue foliage. It tops out at 4 to 6 inches tall and spreads 11 to 12 inches — compact enough for troughs, well-proportioned enough for a rock garden pocket.

Zone 4 hardy and completely adapted to Pacific Northwest conditions, 'Lidakense' is native to Japan's rocky mountain terrain, which gives it the constitution to handle our summer-dry, winter-wet climate without complaint — as long as drainage is good. The trailing habit makes it natural for spilling over a low wall or cascading from a raised rock garden planting. The flower show in late August and September is genuinely impressive for the plant's size. Trough gardeners consider 'Lidakense' an essential — it earns that reputation every year.