Petrosedum montanum 'Blue Form'

If a blue spruce and a sedum had an argument about who looks better in a rock garden, Petrosedum montanum 'Blue Form' would walk in and settle the debate. This upright, needle-leaved stonecrop has that intense blue-gray foliage that catches the low winter light and practically glows. Standing about 8 inches tall and spreading to a foot wide, it has a presence that's bigger than its footprint — the kind of plant you notice immediately and then can't stop looking at.

The leaves are fine, cylindrical, and densely packed, giving it a texture somewhere between a tiny conifer and a sea anemone. In early to midsummer it pushes up cheerful yellow flowers that contrast beautifully against all that cool blue foliage. It's evergreen, too — so when November rolls around and the rest of the garden is sulking, this one is still out there looking sharp. Hardy to Zone 4, it handles the PNW's wet winters just fine as long as you've got it in well-drained soil. Gravel gardens, rocky slopes, dry walls — it fits all of those scenes naturally. Petrosedum montanum 'Blue Form' is a collector's plant that's actually easy to grow, which is a rare and beautiful combination. Give it full sun and gritty soil and it'll reward you with four seasons of good looks.