Petrosedum foresterianum elegans 'Silver Stone'

The elegans forms of Petrosedum foresterianum are known for their refined, densely-packed foliage, and Petrosedum foresterianum elegans 'Silver Stone' is the selection that leans furthest into the silver side of the spectrum. The needle-like leaves carry a notably glaucous, silver-gray coating that gives the whole plant a pale, cool tone — something between the blue of 'Blue Spruce' and the silver of a well-coated Sedum spathulifolium. It spreads to form a low, dense mat that looks tidy and attractive year-round.

Zone 5 hardy and well-suited to the sunny, well-drained conditions that define PNW rock gardens, 'Silver Stone' is a natural companion to warm-toned foliage plants where its cool silver creates contrast. Yellow summer flowers complement the silver foliage without overwhelming it. Gravel gardens, dry stone walls, and south-facing slopes are ideal situations — places where the silver coloration catches the light and the drainage is reliably sharp. In the diffuse winter light of a wet Pacific Northwest day, silver-toned plants have a particular luminous quality that dark or green-foliaged plants simply can't match. 'Silver Stone' earns its place in those gray months especially.