Biting Stonecrop
Sedum acre
Biting stonecrop is a low-growing, mat-forming succulent perennial that thrives primarily on dry, nutrient-poor, and sandy soils. The plant reaches heights of 5 to 15 cm and possesses fleshy, ovoid leaves that serve as water storage organs. Between June and August, it produces numerous star-shaped, golden-yellow flowers. Due to its CAM metabolism, it is extremely drought-tolerant and frequently colonizes walls, rocks, and dunes.
Details
Habitat function
Provides habitat and food for insects of dry biotopes; larval host plant for the Apollo butterfly.
Nutrient uptake
Low nutrient requirement; can efficiently utilize nitrogen in barren soils.
Food source for
Bees, bumblebees, hoverflies, and caterpillars of the Red Apollo butterfly.
Human use
Used in green roofs, as a rock garden plant, and formerly in folk medicine (Caution: slightly toxic).
Ecology
Ecological role
Pioneer plant on extreme sites; important nectar source for specialized wild bees and butterflies.
Natural predators
Specialized aphids and weevils; unpalatable to most vertebrates due to its chemical constituents.
Competitor species
Poor competitor against tall grasses when nutrient levels increase (eutrophication).
Ecosystem service
Soil stabilization on sand, green roofs for rainwater retention, promoting urban biodiversity.
Threats
Habitat loss through sealing, eutrophication of dry grasslands, and scrub encroachment.
Scientific profile
Profile
Reproduction
Generative via seeds; very efficient vegetative reproduction through the rooting of detached shoot fragments (fragmentation).