Phedimus spurius 'Tricolor'

Perennial cultivar from the Crassulaceae family, selected from the type species native to the Caucasus and northern Iran, where it grows on rocks, rocky slopes, and sunny to semi-shaded banks.

This cultivar forms a creeping and dense mat, 5 to 10 cm high, composed of small flattened rosettes with oval to spatulate leaves, slightly fleshy and toothed at the top. Its appeal lies entirely in the variegation of its foliage, which combines three shades on each leaf — a medium green center, a cream to white edge, and a pink to reddish-pink border, the latter intensifying in the sun and in the cold season. The young shoots and central rosettes sometimes take on distinctly pink to reddish tones, further adding to the chromatic diversity of the whole.

The flowers are bright pink, gathered in small loose corymbs borne by short upright stems. In its natural habitat, the flowering of the type species extends from June to August; in cultivation, this cultivar generally blooms in July.

It requires full sun to best express its colors, in well-drained, moderately rich soil. In partial shade, the foliage remains variegated but loses color intensity. Hardy and effective ground cover, it is suitable for rock gardens, walls, and sunny borders.