Hylotelephium cauticola 'Lidakense'

A succulent perennial from the Crassulaceae family, Hylotelephium cauticola is native to Japan, where the type species grows on well-exposed cliffs and rocks. The 'Lidakense' cultivar, selected for its compact habit and intense flowering, is one of the most popular forms in rock garden cultivation.

The plant forms a spreading and trailing clump, only 10 to 15 cm in height, with flexible, arched stems that readily spill over stones or walls. It is precisely this instinct to cascade over rocks that makes it an ideal choice for dry stone walls and rock garden edges. The leaves are oval, fleshy, with a slightly frosted blue-gray hue, borne on stems tinged with red-purple—a sober and refined plant palette even before any flowering.

The flowers are small, star-shaped, in a bright pink to deep magenta, gathered in dense corymbs that generously cover the plant at the end of the season. The contrast between the glaucous foliage and the fuchsia inflorescences is particularly striking.

In its natural habitat, the type species blooms from August to October. In cultivation, 'Lidakense' generally blooms from August to September.

It requires full sun and well-drained soil, poor to moderately fertile. Perfectly hardy, it withstands summer drought and is suitable for rock gardens, walls, and raised containers.