15 Cold-Hardy Succulents

Also known as a hen-and-chick plant, sempervivum is known for its gray-green rosettes that turn plum-colored when the temperatures drop. Where do sempervivums get the poultry nickname? The mother plant (the hen) spreads by making tiny, new rosettes on stalks (chicks). Use sempervivums in containers and rock gardens. These natives of the mountains of southern Europe can endure temperatures of 50 below. You’ve no excuse for killing them. Zones 2 to 9.

This stonecrop cultivar grows sprawling mounds of variegated white and green leaves that get tinged in red in the cool weather of spring and fall. It’s part of the SunSparkler series from plant breeder Chris Hansen and is derived from a sedum native to mountains in North America. They like dry soil and full sun. Give them rich soil or too much shade and they’ll become weak, floppy plants. They spread slowly over time, so they’re good for naturalizing an area. Zones 4 to 9.

This low-growing groundcover sprawls in a thick mat of stems and leaves that turn burgundy in the fall and stay red all winter, bringing color to the garden when everything else is dead. Sedum spurium is native to the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia and can take temperatures as low as 40 degrees below zero. It produces tiny, star-shaped pink flowers that butterflies adore. Plant it on a sunny slope or in a container and let it trail over the edges. Zones 3 to 8.

This one grows a mat of lime-colored rosettes with pink-tinged leaves that work well as groundcover. They look like their cousin sempervivum, but rosularia has bell-shaped blooms instead of star-shaped. Like their hen-and-chick kin, they need lots of sun and fast-draining soil. They’re native to the Himalayas and the mountains of Turkey, but they’ll be happy in your rock garden or in a container. Zones 5 to 9.